


Survival Hack

by Neon_Empire



Category: GOT7, Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Drama, Eventual Romance, GOT7 - Freeform, Gay, Horror, Journey, M/M, Minor Character Death, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance, Sex, Survival, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, jackbum - Freeform, outbreak, straykids - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2019-07-17 04:14:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16087541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neon_Empire/pseuds/Neon_Empire
Summary: Ever wonder where you would be if a zombie apocalypse happened?Imagine the worst place possible.For them, the outbreak hit while performing on a stage, during a sold out concert in Seoul.





	1. The Worst Place for This To Happen

****First, a word from Jackson:  
  
 _Ever wonder where you would be if a zombie outbreak ever started? I did. I watched all the movies and shows. In my naive mind, I imagined that I would be home, with everyone I loved. We would see something on the news and start planing from there. I would fight.  
  
  
My limited knowladge of martial arts would be enough.  
  
  
All the zombies would be slow, easy targets.   
  
  
Yeah. I'm sure that's what everyone imagines.   
  
  
Who would belive that there would be a day where I would look back and say, 'Remember when I was a celebirty and everything was normal?'   
  
  
Because when the highly unlikely scenario did happen, I was in the worst place you can imagine. A fucking concert. There was no warning. No way to prepare. Oh yeah, and my martial arts was not enough. I also ended up the last person in the world I would want as a survival buddy.   
  
  
But I _did _survive. And now that person, who I never even imagined in my zombie apocalypse daydreams is gone and I would do anything to get him back._  
  
  
In a zombie apocolypse everyone has a story. Mine isn't over yet and if I can help it, neither is his....  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
**April 29 2016**  
Fly is Seoul Day 1  
  
  
Jaebum wasn't even supposed to be there. Everyone told him to stay home, in bed, and wait to see the doctor tomorrow for his back. How could he? This was a day he had been dreaming about for years- the first day of their world tour. Yes, _world_ tour. In his wildest dreams he never imagined that people from all over the world would want to see him preform, and it was all starting in South Korea. A sold out concert in Seoul. _Finally_ , their hard work had paid off. All those tears that were shed, the fights, all the _bullshit_  meant something. This was what they had been working towards their entire career! And here he was for the first concert, watching from behind the stage.   
  
  
With all 8,000 in attendance, he couldn't help but feel depressed as he looked out to the crowd. He deserved to be on that stage with them.   
  
  
He _was_ going to be on that stage.   
  
  
Just twenty more minutes and he would walk out there, say hello. It's only fair because the fans paid to see Got7, not Got6.   
  
  
 _He_ wants to be performing on that stage. He watches as a single bead of sweat falls from the tip of Jinyoung's nose and lands on the stage in front of him. _He_ wants to feel what they are feeling. If he closes his eyes, he can imagine it; the way his lungs would burn from exhaustion, he'd feel sick to his stomach, and his vision is blurry from the eyeliner and sweat going into his eyes. That's all okay because there is this amazing adrenaline that takes over when he's on stage.  
  
  
But right now, all he can do is watch. His brown eyes scan over the crowd, taking it all in. The beautiful faces of his fans.   
  
  
That's when he notices something is wrong.  
  
  
No one is even paying attention to them. They people in the crowed keep looking away from the stage. Instead of filming, they're all answering the phones. Obviously his group members have no idea what's going on. They can't see the crowd when the lights are on the, so the members haven't noticed anything. They keep dancing.   
  
  
It looks like a huge fight has broken out in the back. A fight that is slowly moving towards them. The chaos starts by the exit in the back and slowly makes it's way forward.   
  
  
"What the hell..." Jinyoung hisses after hitting into him. "What are you doing?"   
  
  
Jaebum winces, stabilising himself before he falls over. He walked right onto the stage, not caring about the concert now. He's trying to see what's going on. The bodyguards are struggling to keep them all back but these people are screaming. Not for GOT7. They're trying to get away from...   
  
  
"Are you okay?" Jackson asks, out of breath.   
  
  
Jaebum doesn't answer, still trying to make out what's happening. _Is_ it a fight? The wave has reached them. Something is very wrong. "Run." He says.  People are literally going crazy. He grabs the mic from Yugyeom. "RUN!" He shouts into the mic before dropping it.   
  
  
From of the corner of his eye he can see someone jump onto the stage and attack one of his members. He runs into the back, ducking away from another crazy person. Crazy? That's his manager. This is his first time seeing one of them up close and it's fucking terrifying. The man's eyes are red and the veins on his skin are black. It looks like he's been poisoned and he's  _pissed_ about it. None of this makes sense. That same man was just asking Jaebum to sit down and rest. Now he's trying to kill him.  
  
  
He just needs to get out of the building. Outside will be better. They'll find a police officer. A doctor. Someone that can help. The light from the lobby is at the end of the hall. Jaebum knows they won't make it to the lobby because more are coming up the stairs.   
  
  
His back is slowing him down. It's not the pain. That is long forgotten at this point. His muscles are just stiff and he sees Jinyoung and Mark run past him.   
  
  
"In here! Hurry!" Someone grabs his wrist, yanking him backwards, into a room. "Fuck!" Jackson is struggling to close the door from...Bambam? Not their Bambam though. No. This one has red eyes and is trying to get into the room.  _To get them_. Jaebum quickly gets up to help, slamming his body against the door they manage to close it, lock it, and then baracade themselves in with everything they can grab.  
  
  
How did that happen so fast? It couldn't have been more than a minute from the time they ran from the stage, to this room.   
  
  
The banging doesn't stop. In fact, there are more hands hitting against the door. Screams can be heard on the other side. "What the fuck is going on? Why are being like this?" Jackson asks him.  Of course, he expects Jaebum to know something. He was behind the stage the whole time and was the first to warn them.   
  
  
Catching his breath, Jaebum stays up against the dresser, afraid that if he moves away, scary Bambam will get in. "I don't know. I was just watching and I saw the crowd. I don't know what's going on." His back is throbbing. Mixed with the banging on the door behind him, he feels like he might pass out.    
  
  
Luckily, they are in the dressing room.  
  
  
They were all in here before the show, hanging out while everyone got ready. It's a nice dressing room, with a couch, a small window covered by a curtian. The usual mirrors and chairs are lined up against one wall. There is table they were all sitting at before. A small snack station that was set up and ready for them. In the corner is a small bathroom; the light still on and the door is wide open.   
  
  
Jackson pushes himself away from the door, pale as a ghost as he walks over to his backpack. He pulls out his phone to call his mother.   
  
  
"Toss me my backpack?" Jaebum asks, not wanting to leave the door. There is still banging on the other side. Jackson tosses him his backpack. He pulls out his phone, startled to see 20 missed calls from his mother. He calls her.   
  
  
 **Ring**. **Ring**. **Ri** - _'Jaebum? Jaebum?'_  
  
He licks his lips. "Mom. Mom something is going on here. Everyone is crazy."   
  
 _'Where are you? Are you safe?'_  His mom asks.   
  
Jaebum looks around. "I-yeah, I think I am. I'm hiding in a dressing room with Jackson."   
  
 _'Stay in there. For as long as you can, stay in there and don't make any noise. They... they are like animals. If they can hear you, they'll come after you.'_  
  
"Mom...are you okay? Where's are you?"   
  
Silence.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
 _'Be strong. I love you. I love you very much. You have to live. Don't...leave that...room.'_ There is banging in the background. His mother's voice is muffled. She must be in a closet.   
  
"Mom, I love you. Can you hear me? I love you! I'm going to come find you-"  
  
 _'Don't! It's too late.'_  There's a loud bang on the other line, followed by screaming. _'IT'S TOO LATE! IT'S TOO LATE!'_  Jaebum pulls the phone away from his ear for a moment, his mothers angry screams hurting his ears. She sounds like she's turning into a demon. Soon, he can only hear the choked, gargling noises that everyone else was making.   
  
  
  
The phone call ends and Jaebum is now in full panic mode. This can't be real. It's a hoax. A horrible prank. Shit like this isn't supposed to really happen.   
  
  
Who else can he call?   
  
  
He has no siblings, no grandparents, no friends that are really priority. He'd call his manager but... the guy is probably outside the door right now, trying to kill him.  
  
  
Instead he watches as Jackson tries to call his own family over and over. Every number that he knows. He even tries to call his brother who is in Australia. It doesn't seem like his phone is working. The phone company he's using has seemed to shut down.   
  
  
"Jaebum..." he fights back tears and the older hands over his phone without any question. Jackson takes it, trying to call every number over again.  
  
  
An hour passed when Jackson finally gave up trying to get in touch with his own family. The only person he was able to contact was his older brother, who seemed to be completely fine, but also unable to contact Jackson's mother and father.  
  
  
"How does your back feel?" Jackson asks, reaching over to plug Jaebum's phone into the charger. Might as well keep everything charged while they still have the electricity.  
  
  
Jaebum moves a bit. Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, he's starting to feel the pain again. He can move, but the muscles on his back are so tense, he wonders if they'll snap. "I'm fine." He sighs. "Is the internet working? We should see what's being said about all this." Now that the knocking on the door has slowed, Jaebum dares move away and walks over to his backpack. There's a bottle of muscle relaxers in his bag, and he wonders if he should take them. They'll make him drowsy.   
  
  
"Scary Bambam must be getting tired." Jackson chews on the inside of his lip for a moment, his eyes giving away how truly upset he is right now. Jaebum reaches out, taking Jackson's hand then brings him over to the couch.   
  
  
"Jackson... we'll get in touch with your parents. If anything, them not answering their phones is a sign that they are on their way out of there." He rubs the back of his neck, "I mean, I got in touch with my mom. And..." He presses his lips together.   
  
  
That's when it hits Jackson. "Oh my god, Jae, I'm so sorry. I didn't even... are you okay."   
  
  
Jaebum nods, wiping any dampness from his face. "I'm fine. Let's see what amazing things the goverment is saying about all this. I'm sure they've already found a cure." They both exchange doubtful looks.  
  
  
It's a disease. Created by the North koreans. They were trying to create a illness that would take out their enemies without even having to fight. They were going to cause an outbreak in South Korea, wait for them to kill each other and die off, then take over. They were also making a vaccine for their own people and it backfired. The vaccine infected their own people and it took only an hour for the virus to make it's way into South Korea.   
  
  
So what is this virus? JB can't understand all the medical terms and what part of the brain it infects. From what he can put together, the virus turned them into mindless, rage induced, monsters. They were human, but whatever part of the brain that gave them reason seemed to die.   
  
  
By the end of the night, they move one of the vending machines up against the door, then the couch. Jackson talks Jaebum into taking something for his back, assuring him that they'll be okay.   
  
  
However, even drowsy, Jaebum can't find sleep. They can hear everything going on outside. Fans and staff that have hidden throughout the building are still being found by the infected and attacked. Cars are crashing outside. People are screaming. Not to forget, the guilt is starting to sink in. He's supposed to be the leader of Got7. He saw what was happening in the crowd, and hesitated. It was his job to get them all to safety.   
  
  
"I have to save my parents. I can't stay in here."   
  
  
Jaebum blinks. "I don't think you'll find a flight to China." He mumbles. The drugs are kicking in. The pain in his back is there, only less.   
  
  
The drugs are kicking in. The pain in his back is there, only less. His eyes shut when he feels Jackson start to stroke his hair back. Sometimes,  _sometimes_ , Jackson was really nice. "We'll figure more out tomorrow. Get some sleep." Jackson tells him. Jaebum looks across the room at the table they were all sitting at just this morning. Jackson's weird, green tea crap is still there. Next to it is Bambam's bag of chips and Jinyoung's plate of half-eaten food. His eyes are always bigger than his stomach. He'll buy a huge plate of food, eat some of it, then put the rest in the fridge where it will eventually go bad. But no one should dare touch it, because if they eat it, he'll come after them.   
  
  
Maybe Jinyoung and Mark made it. Jinyoung is so strong, and Mark is agile. He imagines that they made it down to the street, got in a car(maybe with a bunch of other survivors), and got somewhere safe.  
  
  
Was it Yugyeom that got attacked on the stage? Or Youngjae?  
  
  
He fights sleep, imagining that this illness is only temporary. Bambam and everyone else will snap out of it.    
  
  
This.can't.be.the.end.  
  
  
Someone will come out with a cure.   
  
  
And that's how Jaebum falls asleep. Imagining that everything and everyone will be okay. 


	2. The Wait Begins

Just because the tapping stopped, doesn't mean Bambam left the door. They can hear his breathing. His wet, thick breaths that filled with blood and vemonous saliva. He's listening. Waiting. If he hears the tiniest noise, the tapping staps again. Light tapping, then louder.  _Bambam_ is no longer here. Everything that made him Bambam has been taken over by the virus. And he doesn't want to bite them-that's only part of it. Scary Bambam wants to attack them. He wants to grab hold of them and slam them against the ground until their skulls crack and blood comes out of there eyes and nose. His jaw aches to bite them-it's because he knows that he's infected and he wants to spread it. That's what he is now programmed to do. Attack and spread.   
  
  
"What are you doing?" Jaebum wakes up at some point in the night.  
  
  
Jackson isn't on the couch sleeping. He's sitting on the floor with a notebook, using his phone light as he scribbles things down from his phone. The strange thing is, that's a new notebook, and Jackson has used up half the pages. He looks up, a bit startled when he hears Jaebum. "I'm just writing things down before the internet goes. Go back to sleep."   
  
  
And so he does.   
  
  
The next time Jaebum fully wakes up, it's in total fear. A siren is going off outside. Not just any siren. This one for nuclear war.   
  
  
Jackson is already by the window, trying to see what's going on. Everyone is running outside. Mostly the infected, but now people that were once hiding are running to cars as well.   
  
  
"Do you think someone is going to nuke us?"   
  
  
"Doubt it," Jaebum says, walking over to the window. His back is on fucking fire right now. "I think ... it's meant to help us out." He points to where the infected that were in the building are running out to the street, trying to get to the noise like the other infected. The people who are also in the streets are mostly making it to their cars with no issues. Well, _some_ don't make it.   
  
  
Jackson steps down, his eyes wide. "Then this is it. We need to get going. If we make it to a car-"  
  
  
" **What**? What's going to happen if we make it to a car right now? What happens when we need gas? Or the infected surrounds the car? It's too soon. There are too many people out there. We have to wait. They aren't zombies. They still need to eat and survive but I don't think they can function that well. A lot of them aren't going to survive. The longer we stay in here, the weaker they get." He carefully moves away from the window and slowly makes his way over to the snack bar. "We should..." he winces, trying to lift a box, "go over what food we have."   
  
  
"I'll do it. You go sit down." Jackson says, taking the box from him. "Go through the backpacks."   
  
  
Going through the backpacks wasn't something Jaebum wanted to do. Ever. In his mind, they were all still alive and could come back at any moment, wanting their things. But the reality was that they might never come back. Even if the others made it, if they came out with a cure and Bambam was normal again, their bags left at the concert would be the last thing they would want. 

  
Jaebum starts with his own, because he knows what to keep. All of his medications are set to the side. He takes out his old iPod as well, with it's headphones. Facewipes - keep. Hand sanitizer - keep. All of his makeup and creams that he used to hide his blemishes from the cameras - toss. He also throws away any wrappers, empty bottles, etc. The bag is almost empty, except for one thing. His lyric book. _It wouldn't take up that much room_ , he thinks to himself, then shoves it back in along with the other stuff.   
  
  
Next is Yugyeom's bag. This isn't so bad because he didn't see where Yugyeom went when the virus broke out. Bambam was bit on stage, but Yugyeom and Youngjae are still a mystery to him. Of course it's a mess. Jaebum quickly removes the food wrappers(that he shouldn't have been eating), the reciepts, dirty socks, empty gum wrappers, busted cologne bottle, and iPod.   
  
  
Then he hears it.  
  
  
Even Jackson stops what he's doing.   
  
  
Both pairs of eyes fall onto Bambam's backpack. The tapping on the door starts again, as if he knows.   
  
  
"Should...we answer it?" Jackson asks.   
  
  
JB shakes his head. "No. No way."   
  
  
Jackson covers his face. "Oh god, she doesn't know. She's probably freaking out right now. We can just answer it and tell her we don't know. Or-or that we saw him running out with a bunch of other survivours."  
  
  
The leader picks up the backpack, opens it, hesitates. "I just... I was supposed to protect him. How am I going to lie to his mother and tell her that he's okay. I failed." Jackson is right. They should do something.   
  
  
But before he can answer the phone, Jackson suddenly snatches the backpack out of his hand. Before he can say anything, Jackson shoves it into the closet with all their clothes.  
  
  
Jaebum watches as he goes back to checking inventory.   
  
  
So, they go through everyones backback except for Bambam's. In the end they have all their supplies lined up neatly on the floor. 

  
1 24 Pack of Water + whatever is in the vending machine  
1 half case of gatorade(6).   
1 box of chips(36).   
1 box of raman(12)   
2 Chocolate bars  
3 Protien bars  
  


This is not including whatever is in the vending machines.   
  
  
But that's it. At first it seemed like a lot, until they started planning out meals. Most of it was junk food, and junk food doesn't really satisfy. If they played their cards right, this food could last them a week. Maybe a little more. That's not good for two guys that like to eat.   
  
  
The next project was Jaebum's idea. Before they started eating, he wanted to make backpacks. Ones they could grab and go in a hurry. This was a different task because they had to think of what they would need on the outside. Each bag had the following:   
  
  
4 water bottles  
1 bottle of gatorade  
1 Cup of Raman  
1 Chocolate bar  
1 Protien bar   
2 Cookies  
1 lighter(thanks to the smokers in the group)  
An extra pair of clothes  
1 jacket  
  
  
Both were disappointed when there was still a good amount of room in the bag. Bags of chips were forbidden because of how loud they made the bag. They didn't have any type of weapons. Jaebum knew that there was no way he could leave this room and survive long.   
  
  
*  
  
  
"So, what did you write down in your notebook?"   
  
  
Four days have passed. Despite their best efforts to keep quiet, boredom is taking over. Especially since last night, Jaebum's phone service ended as well. The loss of contact from the outside world depressed Jackson more because he _still_ didn't get in touch with his mother. They could've checked Bambam's phone, but no one dared. It still rang in the background and they were waiting for the battery to die.   
  
  
So now, they talked to take their minds off everything; the tapping, the phone, their loss of connection with the world.   
  
  
Jackson sets down his noodles and gets his book. "Actually, it's a survival book. I couldn't sleep that first night and I figured we wouldn't have internet soon. So I looked up different ways to survive." He opens the book, and Jaebum frowns.   
  
  
"But it's in English. Why the fuck did you write it in english?"   
  
  
"Because it was easier. A lot of the websites I found were in English." He shrugs. "We need to come up with a plan. Like... where are we going to go once we leave this room."   
  
  
The older thinks for a moment. "A car." He decides. "There are a few purses in here. If can match the car before the infected get to us, we could get on the road and at least make it out of the city."   
  
  
Jackson doesn't appear happy about that. " _Out_ of the city? But we want to go somewhere we can get help. If we go out of the city, that's heading to knowhere. What about an airport?"   
  
  
Jaebum shakes his head. "The one here in Seoul is probably overrun. There's an American military base one out there. They would have the resources to start taking survivours away."   
  
  
"Yeah right, if anything, they're still here to make sure the virus doesn't get anywhere near-" He frowns when JB suddenly gets up in the middle of him talking. "-rude?" He says, despite his worry.   
  
  
The older makes his way over to the door, pressing his ear to it. Someone is outside. A young girl.   
  
  
**'He-hello? Is anyone there?'** She sobs. **'Hello!'**  
  
  
"She's going to lead the infected to her right away." Jackson says. They look at each other. "Bambam." They say at the same time, then start to unblock the door. "In here! Stay quiet!" He tells her.   
  
  
**'OH MY GOD! Please help me! I can't find my friends. I hid under the stage with a few other people a-and I wanted to find my mom.'** She continues to rant.   
  
  
JB winces, trying to help Jackson pull the vending machine. They hear the screeching coming from down the hall. The infected are running towards them. They manage to get the door open just a little, just not enough for her to fit through. "Hold on!" Jaebum stops helping and disappears.   
  
  
"What are you doing?!" Jackson shouts, still trying to get the girl in.   
  
  
He returns a moment later and hands the girl two things. A backpack, and a key. "GET INTO THE CLOSET RIGHT BEHIND YOU! HURRY!" The girl does as she's told and manages to use the keycard to unlock the closet. They shut their doors and Jackson pushes the vending machine back. Now the infected are banging at their door again. It doesn't help that the girl won't stop hysterically crying.   
  
  
Jackson licks his dry lips. "What did you give her?" He asks.   
  
  
"I threw a few water bottles and some chips in a backpack."  
  
  
It was cold. Both of them knew that JB could have given her one of their backpacks and it would have helped more. "Why didn't you just help me get her in? We could have moved the vending machine more." He states, clearly upset. Jaebum doesn't answer. He takes a step back, his lips set in a thin line. Does he really need to say it outloud? The reason is obvious. Why should he risk his life to save someone he doesn't know? His back is already slowing him down, what if this girl made it worse?   
  
  
Jackson reads the answer in his eyes. "You bastard."   
  
  
"We didn't know if she was infected or not."   
  
  
"Fuck you. She would've turned already. You just didn't want to share the supplies." When Jaebum doesn't argue, Jackson turns away in disgust. "Hey! Can you hear me?! HEY!" He shouts through the door.   
  
  
**'I-I CAN HEAR YOU!'** She shouts back.   
  
  
"You have to stay quiet! If you keep making noise, they'll stay by your door. So just try to stay quiet and once they go away, I'll come out and get you."   
  


**'OKAY!'** She says, then falls silent.   
  
  
JB steps forward, shocked. "Why? Jackson, we don't even know this girl."   
  
  
Jackson ignores him, leaving the door and walking over to his backpack. "Right now, I'd rather be going through this with her. How can you be like that? If you can do that to her, why should I believe that I'm safe with you? Are you going to throw me to the infected when shit goes down?"   
  
  
Jaebum clenches his teeth, hurt and angered. Sometimes Jackson said some hurtful things when he was upset, but this was different. This was life and death. "That's different. We're-"  
  
  
"Friends?" Jackson laughs bitterly. "When do we ever hang out? You don't even like sharing a room with me."   
  
  
"That's not true." He bites back. "Look, not everyone is a fucking social butterfly. Just because I'm quiet, doesn't mean I dislike you." He points to the door. "And just because she's crying, doesn't mean she wouldn't throw your ass to the infected. Stop acting like I'm fucking stupid. I know the real reason why you're doing this. You saw that door open and you wanted to go out and find your parents. That's insane."   
  
  
Jackson gasps. "Of course I'm going to find my parents. Are you telling me we should just run to the military base and save our own skin?"   
  
  
"No. But do you _really_ think we'd make it to China? We're just going to cross the border, into the country where the virus was **created** , then walk all the into China where it's extremely populated and already overrun by infected? Or maybe we should take a boat, because we're _experts_ at that too. And if that doesn't work, I'm sure you know where to find a plane, and how to fly one." JB's sarcasm is only pissing Jackson off more at this point. He can see it- so why can't he stop? "And I'm sure that picking up every surviver alon the way, a traveling in a giant pack with strangers will totally keep us safe. How can you be so stupid?"   
  
  
That's it. At that moment, JB knows he fucked up. Instead of arguing back, the blonde moves to the other side of the room with his back to him.   
  
  
_He'll come around. Tomorrow, apologise and then we'll try to get the girl over._ He thinks to himself. _It will be okay._  
  
  
*  
  
Jaebum couldn't have been more wrong. They go to sleep, not saying a word to each other. Jaebum wakes up the next morning to the sound of scraping along the floor. "What's going on-JACKSON!" He hisses. Jackson moved the vending machine away from the door and was sliding out with two backpacks.  
  
  
Jaebum gets up, but it's too late. Jackson is in the hall, lightly knocking on the door to the closet. "It's me. Open up. Hurry." The door slowly opens and the girl looks out. This is the first time JB is getting a clear look at her. She's high school aged, and very small. "We're going to run out through the exit doors by the stage," he whispers.   
  
  
"Jackson, what are you doing?" Jaebum asks. 

  
The other just smiles. "I left you more than your share of food. Good luck JB." He says, then takes off down the hall. Jaebum doesn't wait. He moves away from the door and starts throwing together his own belongings, ready to run after them.   
  
  
Suddenly, there's a loud BANG. Bambam is trying to get into the room. He almost does, until Jaebum runs and throws himself up against the door, slamming it shut with Bambam's fingers still in the way. There is screaming. Jaebum nearly vomits when two fingers fall onto the floor and Bambam starts banging his head against the wall wildly. Jaebum manages to get the vending machine back in front of the door, crying from both the pain in his back, and now the fact that he was alone.   
  
  
Jackson was gone. He took off with another survivour.   
  
  
Jaebum looks at the pile of food left behind. It's more than enough. He could survive in there for two weeks now.  
  
  
Does he really want too?   
  
  
"Fuck..." he slides down on the floor, tears endlessly rolling down his cheeks. Bambam keeps banging against the door. The phone is ringing in the closet. More infected are running down the hall. "SHUT UP!" He screams. No one listens.   
  
  
He's officially alone. 


	3. Save

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit more blood and gore in this chapter. It's much longer so enjoy! I love seeing all your reactions. Thank you guys for the comments. :)

**Part 1  
**  
  
"In the end, I let you guys down." He nods to himself. "I failed." He adds more lighter fluid to the flames. From the other side of the door, Bambam hisses. "Don't talk like that. The finger thing was definitely an accident. And let's be real, you kind of deserved it. But I'm talking about _before_ that. When you think about it, this all started because I fucked up my back. And I know what you're thinking, 'JB Hyung, I didn't become a vicious zombie because you hurt your back!' Right?" Growl. "We told everyone I threw out my back during practice," he laughs, "I threw out my back because-because we all had a bet that I couldn't do a handstand on top of a bar stool!" He laughs as Bambam snarls. "How stupid! And if I didn't hurt my back doing stupid shit, I could have been on the stage with you guys and maybe I would have seen what was going on sooner. I should've gone out there the moment I saw what was going on in the back. I hesitated." He sniffs. "Just like I... hesitated going after Jackson. And saving that girl. A-and apologizing for being a jerk. I always wait." He fans at the flames some more, then tosses another sparkely stage jacket in.  
  
  
The smoke is starting to make it's way up to the ceiling. He watches as it travels out the hole that he carved through the top of the door frame. It's true that the food Jackson left could have lasted him two weeks, but after three days, he decided that surviving had no meaning if he was alone. His back was feeling better(sort of), so he packed everything he needed in his backpack, and he came up with a great idea.   
  
  
Well, hopefully it was a great idea.   
  
  
One thing is for sure; having **three** days all to himself, he came up with some nifty ideas.  
  
  
He picks up the wooden baseball bat that is resting against his leg. Yes! A bat! The day after Jackson left, JB couldn't stand hearing Bambam's phone ring anymore. He went into the closet to get the phone and there it was, leaning up against the wall. It was a prop from another group, but it was solid wood. JB teared up when he found it. That's when this great idea began.   
  
  
He spent hours balancing on a chair, slowly carving at the top corner of the door with the small pocket knife Jinyoung carried in his bag. It wasn't a weapon. The blade was so small they would have to get extremely close. He also realized that making these things bleed wasn't a good idea either. When he finished creating a hole big enough for the smoke to travel through, he didn't care that the blade was dull and bent. It had served it's purpose.  
  
  
"If there is a cure, I promise. Bambam, I promise I'll come back here for you. I wish there was a way I could... put you in a cage and... feed you rabbits or something." He scratches the back of his head. "But I'm just not ready for a pet zombie. It's not the right time, and it's too much responsibility. I mean, if I find a place and it all works out, maybe I can come back here and get you? I don't know. I guess we'll see if I even make it out of here alive." He picks up Bambam's fingers(which are wrapped in tissues) and tosses them into the fire as well.   
  
  
Eventually, the smoke fills the room. JB wraps a t-shirt tightly around his face, waiting for the signal. "Please, leave the door." He whispers. He really doesn't want to hit Bambam with a bat.   
  
  
Then it happens. The smoke causes the fire alarms to go off and for the first time in days, Bambam leaves the door and takes off down the hall.   
  
  
"YES!"  
  
  
JB gets to work right away, pulling at the vending machine until it's far enough from the door for him to slide out. He takes one last look at the room. His safe haven. This is it. There's no going back now.   
  
  
Originally, he planned to run down the hall, into the lobby. His backpack had four pairs of keys and he didn't want to risk running around outside. But Bambam went that way. He didn't want to run into him. So he runs towards the stage instead after deciding he could make it through the emergency exit.   
  
  
He's about to run onto the stage, when he hears the hisses and growls. Standing next to the stage are about five infected. One of them is the girl that Jackson tried to save. "Fuck." He mumbles under his breath. They're stalking the storage corner of the stage.  
  
  
He peaks around the corner again. Why aren't they chasing the alarms like Bambam? He gasps. That girl said she was hiding under the stage with a group of people. They must still be alive.   
  
  
Looking back down the hall, he makes sure that Bambam is still out of sight. "Fuck..."   
  
  
There are two parts under the stage. One side is for them to go through if they want to come up through the stage during a performance. Normally there is a makeup artist, a paramedic, and some other staff down there. The other side is more like a giant hole. There is only one small door to get in and out. The mantaince guys normally keep their tools down there, some extra wires, along with bags of trash that are taken out after the concert. They like to put it under the stage before the concert so that it doesn't stink up the back.   
  
  
' _They're distracted. I could make it to the exit before they even notice._ '   
  
  
He really could. But something tells him to help. At least try. He digs into his backpack and pulls out two items; a bottle of hair spray and a lighter. There are too many for him to fight off with a bat alone, so he hopes this will work.   
  
  
"HEY!" He jumps onto the stage. They stop clawing at the stage. JB pauses in terror as five pairs of red eyes lock onto him. "Come on. You guys hungry? I have some barbecue." He runs forward and sprays them with the flames. It doesn't catch-just pisses them off.  
  
  
The smell of burnt hair is enough to make him sick.   
  
  
Jaebum coughs and sprays them again. It finally catches and they run away from the stage, now trying to get him. He jumps down from the stage, and takes off down the hall. His lungs are burning from the smoke, but when he looks back, he finds that theirs are too. Only _much_ worse. Eventually they come to a complete stop, crumpling onto the ground as the fire consumes them.   
  
  
He covers his mouth and goes back over to the stage. "Anyone under there? They're gone. If you guys are in there, you might want to come out now before others find us."   
  
  
When the hatch starts to open he steps back. How many survivours could fit in there? Two, maybe three?   
  
  
One comes out, followed by another helping an injured.... "Jackson?" Jaebum steps forward, about to hug him when he notices the smell. It's foul.   
  
  
"We need to get him to a doctor. I don't think he's going to make it much further." A familiar voice says.   
  
  
There's too much smoke for him to really recognise him. "There's a pharmacy across the street. If there are no infected, maybe we can get in there." He says. "Follow me."   
  
  
The moment they step outside, the other two start to panic. "What's wrong?" He asks, trying to help them pick Jackson up.  
  
  
"I can't see!"   
  
  
"The sun is too bright."   
  
  
From being stuck under a stage in the dark, to running outside, of course it's too much.   
  
  
' _My, what lovely day for a zombie apocolypse_ ,' JB thinks to himself as he tries to guide them across the street. It's so different. He's been watching from a window and now he's actually down here. The once busy streets are completely empty. Unlike the building, he doesn't see any infected. There aren't any survivours walking around either. It's a completely different world now.   
  
  
"This way!"   
  
  
Somehow they make it to the pharmacy. "Watch out!" JB swings the bat at the man running towards him, hitting him directly in the neck. It doesn't kill him. He falls to the floor screaming and JB doesn't give him a chance to attack again. He swings the bat down again and again until there is nothing but a pile of bloody mush on the floor.   
  
  
"Hello?"   
  
  
Silence.  
  
  
"Good." JB pulls the shirt off his face and uses it to wipe the infected blood off his bat.   
  
  
Someone rolls the steel door down and another turns on the lights. Jackson is lying on the floor, pale and sweating. "What happened?"   
  
  
"He saved our lives." Now JB recognises him. It's Felix! _That's right, the male trainees came to our concert,_ JB thinks, looking over at Hyunjin. That's it. Out of nine members, only two made it and that's because they were under the stage.  
  
  
Hyunjin speaks up, his voice shakey. "We've been hiding under there since the outbreak. We had a girl with us but she ran. We thought we were going to starve to death, but she came back the next day with Jackson. The infected tried to get in. Jackson hyung fought them off, but was thrown into the stage equipment. He cut his leg open pretty bad."   
  
  
JB nods. It's not hard to guess what happened after that. In the dressing room they had food, light, a bathroom. Water. They had used it to clean off. These guys were stuck under a stage, in their own filth, with no light, food, or water. Any wound was bound to get infected.  
  
  
"I-I don't want to die," Jackson cries, slightly delusional as JB feels his forehead. He's burning up. "I'm sorry I ran away. I should've stayed. Please, I don't want to die."   
  
  
"Shh. You're not going to die. Just let me see it." He pulls Jackson's hand away from his leg and nearly faints. The gash is deep on the outer side of his thigh. Worse, there are live maggots crawling around in the wound. He might die. "Don't look at it." He quickly says. "Hyunjin, talk to Jackson hyung. Tell him some silly jokes." He turns to Felix. "Get me a first aid kit." It's a simple demand, however, Jaebum has no fucking clue what he's doing. What can he do? Put some neosporin on it and a band-aid?   
  
  
"It looks bad, but it's the infection that we really need to worry about."   
  
  
JB turns to Felix as he's handed the first aid kit. "You know how to handle this?"   
  
  
Felix shrugs. "A little-not really. I mean, I had a dog once that ended up stuck under a fence. I took us days to find him. The wound on his back was infested with maggots. We took him to the vet and they let me stay with my dog to keep him calm. The vet said that the maggots eat the dead tissue. He cleaned the wound, then used vasaline to suffocate the rest of them out. But that was a dog and... I don't know what we could give him for the infection though, or if he can to keep anything down." He didn't seem to think what he said was useful.   
  
  
It was. JB's mind immediately started working. He tried to remember all the treatments he got whenever he had an infection. "Do you have a strong stomach?" The younger nods. "Okay." He gets up and grabs a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from the shelf, along with a pair of tweezers. "Start removing them." He hops behind the counter. There are loads of drugs and many have been taken. Blood pressure medications, asthma, diabetes, painkillers-most of them are gone. But thankfully, there's still a decent amount of penicilin. He pulls a bottle of water from his backpack and brings it, along with two pills over to Jackson. "Jackson, it's going to be okay. I need you to take these. They might make your stomach upset, but you have to keep them down." It's a lot to ask, but the Jackson does as he's told and takes the pills. 

  
He's about to get up when Jackson stops him. "Please stay here? Hyunjin's jokes are shitty. I won't be able to hold the pills down." He says lightly. He's scared. JB can see it in his eyes.   
  
  
  
**Part 2**    
  
  
Jackson was-what's the word?   
  
  
Petty?   
  
  
He's been called petty a lot in his lifetime. He definitely took that argument they had way harder than he should have. Everyone processes the zombie apocolyspe differently. JB was in full self survival mode. Was it so bad that he didn't want to risk his life for a total stranger?   
  
  
If he wasn't in so much pain, he would be laughing at how badly it worked out for him. He and the girl ran into four infected that were by the stage. She was attacked, and Jackson was stuck running from five. Thankfully the kids under the stage helped. They got him in, but one of the infected tried to get in as well.   
  
  
Jackson knew the moment he fell back into the equipment that he was fucked. Something dragged along his leg, hard. They managed to get the monster out, but the damage was done. He went from hanging out in a safe room with his band member, to sitting in a dark crawl space with a bloody leg. A really bloody leg. They used his phone light to see the damage and now Jackson was truly scared. It was deep and they couldn't get it to stop bleeding.   
  
  
It took hours for the bleeding to finally stop completely.   
  
  
But that wasn't the worse part. 

  
Nope.   
  
  
The worst part were the flies that kept crawling around on him after. No matter how much he tried to keep it covered, they would slip under the dressing. Sometimes he would feel it, other times he wouldn't. Then he started to feel something else. Something much worse. He woke up to feeling of something moving inside his wound. But the phone was dead by now and no one could see. When he tried to scratch at it the others stopped him in fear that he would rip open his leg even more.   
  
  
"I'm sorry I left." He cries.   
  
  
Now it doesn't seem fair that the person he abandoned, saved his life and is now comforting him. He cries as JB pulls his head onto his lap and starts to gently stroke his hair back in an attempt to calm him.   
  
  
Felix is doing all sorts of things to his leg. He's dumping peroxide on it, picking the maggots away with tweezers, probing it with q-tips. _Nothing like having a 15-year-old as a doctor._  
  
  
Nah, that's him being bitter. Felix is actually doing a really good job. He's really gentle but the pain is changing to a different kind. "He's digging into my leg," Jackson grips JB's arm. "I can't-I'm going to be sick."  
  
  
"He's not digging. It's going to be okay. Try to stay still just a little longer."   
  
  
The pain is too much. Jackson bites down on his fist to keep from screaming his lungs out. Hyunjin comes over and leans on his leg to hold him down. He's sure that this was meant to help. It just made the pain worse.  
  
  
For a second, JB disappears. "Take this." He holds out a pill when he returns. A thick, strange, blue pill.  
  
  
"What is it?" Jackson asks.   
  
  
"It's going to help with the pain. I didn't want to give it to you until we were sure the penicillin stayed down. I think you'll be okay taking it now."   
  
  
The blonde doesn't complain. He takes the pill then chugs the water.   
  
  
He supposed leaving the room wasn't a total loss. He ended up finding two trainees from his company, who would have died if he hadn't shown up with food and water. Seeing them now... he felt bad. Felix and Hyunjin were already small. They were under that stage for so long without food, Jackson felt awful. He couldn't forget their faces when he put on the phone light and saw how terribly skinny they were.   
  
  
And scared. They were just...  
  
  
Children.   
  
  
At 15, everyone thinks they're an adult, but Jackson didn't see it. To him they were just kids.   
  
  
Marshmallows.   
  
  
Two giant marshmallows.   
  
  
...  
  
  
Wait a minute, they _really_ do look like marshmallows.   
  
  
He looks over at that trash can.   
  
  
It suddenly comes to life and asks, 'WHAT DO YOU WANT?'   
  
  
"Uhhhh. Guys... why is the trash can talking to me?" He asks. Two marshmellows giggle.   
  
  
He looks up and JB is.... a giant! Jackson could curl up in the palm of his hand. Suddenly Jackson is starting to feel like Alice in Wonderhell. "It's the pain medication. I might have given you too much. Just.... try to go to sleep."   
  
  
He can't. He grabs the trash bin and vomits(despite the trash bins complaints).   
  
  
*  
  
  
When he wakes up, he can't say that he feels better. Not at all. His leg is hurting bad and his stomach feels even worse. But he really has to take a piss and this would be his first time using an actual bathroom in days. At least the pain meds wore off.  
  
  
Everyone is asleep. Jaebum fell asleep leaning uncomfortably against a shelf so that Jackson could use him as a pillow. The two little ones are passed out next to him. He doesn't want to bother them, so he slowly gets up, and limps his way to the back towards the bathroom. The light goes on automatically when he opens the door. It's brighter than the one in the store so when he's done washing his hands, he removes the dressing on his leg. His wound is covered in vasaline and he shudders when two dead maggots fall onto the floor. That seems to be it though. Felix got rid of the maggots all on his own.   
  
  
The smell is still there and he can see a layer of green forming. It's infected for sure.   
  
  
After wrapping his leg back up, he feels his own forehead. It still feels hot. He leans over the sink and starts to wash his face with some cold water. Tylenol will help bring his fever down but his mouth has an awful taste in it. Maybe he'll go back out and get a tooth brush.  
  
  
There's some movement and he sees someone standing by the door.   
  
  
"Are there any tooth brushes left? I really need to brush my teeth. I have barf breath." He reaches for some paper towels and sighs. Empty. He goes into the stall and grabs some toilet paper instead. "We should probably wash up here. Who knows when we'll have-" Low growl, "...time too...." Loud growl. "FUCK!" He kicks the stall door shut but the infected throws himself into it, knocking it back open. Jacskon jumps up and tries to climb over the stall, the infected grabs his foot and tries to yank him back.   
  
  
Someone else runs into the room. _Oh great, another one_ , Jackson thinks. But when he looks back, he sees the bat crash into the man's skull. It's truly horrific. The infected starts to vomit bright red, but he's not letting go of Jackson's foot. Another hit. Than another. Finally it goes down and Jackson falls into the next stall. 

  
The panic isn't over. There is blood everywhere. On the stall, on both Jackson and Jaebum's clothes. But worst of all, it's on Jackson's dressing.   
  
  
They rush him over to the sink, pull the bandage off. "SOMEONE GET RUBBING ALCOHOL."  
  
Felix runs in with a bottle and they promptly dump the rubbing alcohol onto Jackson's leg. It **burns**. Oh god does it burn but he bites into his own tongue to keep from screaming. There is blood on his wound, but he can't tell if its his or not. And the vasaline kind of acted as a shield.   
  
  
After ten minutes of continuously dumping alcohol on his leg, they decide that he's not going to get infected. Jaebum hands Hyunjin his bat. "Check over the store, make sure there aren't any windows or doors." He says, then leans Jackson against the wall. He leaves for a moment, then comes back with a roll of paper towels, a bar of soap, and bleach. They both _carefully_ remove their clothes and start to bathe at the sink to get rid of the blood.   
  
  
"I'm sorry."   
  
  
Jaebum rolls his eyes. "Will you stop apologising about everything? It's fine. We should really stay together though. If someone has to use the bathroom, we should all go."   
  
  
"No. I'm sorry I left you in that room. I was really mad but you were right. We won't make it to China. We're struggling just to make it out of here alive.  It was really shitty of me to leave you like that."   
  
  
The older smiles. "It's fine. Just don't do it again." He picks up their clothes and places them into one of the sinks. After filling it with water and soap, he dumps a good amount of bleach in. The clothes are going to look like shit after that. Not that it matters. "I packed some extra clothes. The ones we had for after the concert. This might be our last chance to wash up so we should do it here."  
  
  
So they stand over the sink with a bar of soap and do what they can too wash up. Two injured fools groaning in pain every couple of seconds.   
  
  
"If I can't get better, you guys should leave me here." Jackson tells him. He feels that it's only right. "I can't keep the pills down." It's the truth. He doesn't know what will happen if he gets worse. What if his immune system is so shot, he dies overnight? Or what if he gets infected? Either way, he doesn't want JB to feel responsible. It's more important that they save the younger ones.  
  
  
Jaebum shakes his head. "Don't be stupid. If penicillin doesn't work, we'll try amoxicillin. It'll help if you eat something." He grabs a roll of paper towels and uses them to dry off, then helps Jackson.   
  
   
They go back into the store and change into the clothes JB packed.  Jackson decides to stay in just his boxers and a t shirt for now so that they can keep an eye on his leg.   
  
  
"There was a door in the back. That's how he got in. We locked it, but it's glass. We can't stay here." Felix states, then walks over to the lights and turns them off.   
  
  
JB nods. "Alright. Let's just give Jackson some more time to rest. Then we'll gather up what we need and start to figure out a plan."   
  
  
It's time to try antibiotics again. This time Jackson eats a little before, and JB gives him amoxicillin instead.   
  
  
They also leave out the pain medications and just give him a few tylenol.   
  
  
Jackson remains seated while Jaebum and the others carefully pull the bodies into the back. The sight of the bloodied corpses makes his stomach sick so he looks outside instead. The infected are out and about now that the sun is down. They don't seem to have a plan or reason. He wonders why they didn't do this during the daytime. Maybe they were there and he didn't notice?   
  
  
After an hour, they decide the pills are going to stay down and they should get some sleep. They set up a spot on the floor, using their backpacks as pillows and huddle together for warmth.   
  
  
"Are you going to sleep?" Jackson asks when he notices Jaebum is just sitting by the window with his bat, watching the infected outside.  
  
  
"I'll stay awake and keep watch. Felix or Hyunjin can take over in the morning." He gives Jackson a short smile, then goes back to keeping watch. 


	4. Attack of the Mind

_"Has it gone down?"_  
  
  
"No, it's worse."  
  
  
_"105. We have to bring his fever down."_  
  
  
Jackson tries to sort out the voices through the pain. All he remembers is waking up this morning and his leg was on fire. He thought that it was from the attack last night. The blood got into his wound, now he was becoming a monster. It would explain why he couldn't stop screaming. Jaebum puts something cold to the back of his neck and he tries to pull it off. An ice pack. Ignoring his cries, they add another. Then another. He can't take it.  
  
  
"Jackson, it's going to be okay." Jaebum picks him up off the floor and holds him while they apply ice packs to his swollen leg. "We need to get your fever down or it's going to kill you."   
  
  
He cries. He can't help it. Everything hurts. He's scared and he might actually die in this stupid store after all. Or better yet, maybe he should make them kill him. Wouldn't that be better than suffering like this? "Just kill me, get it over with." He begs.   
  
  
Jaebum holds him closer, one arm around his back, the other holding the ice pack to his forehead. "Why are you always trying to leave me?" He asks jokingly, but the fear is there in his voice. He's afraid.   
  
  
"Hyung.... I don't know if I can do this," Hyunjin says, holding a needle.   
  
  
_Oh fuck, where did he get a needle from?_ He starts to fight them, kicking at anyone that comes close to him. Next, he tries to fight Jaebum. "Get away from me!" He screams, trying to pull away.   
  
  
Jaebum isn't having it though. His arms tighten around Jackson like a steel trap. "Stop it! I'm not going to let you die. I don't care if I have to make you try every pill in this fucking pharmacy." For a moment, Jackson is shocked by Jaebum's anger, so the older takes the needle from Hyunjin and stabs it into Jackson's leg.    
  
  
Nothing happens. How could it? All they can do is try to get his fever down and get rid of this infection. One shot isn't going to cure him.  
  
  
The pain is awful. He just wants this to end but he knows that Jaebum is telling the truth. He had that same tone when he told the group he wasn't going to let them fail, and he didn't. Jackson stops fighting and holds onto Jaebum instead. He's like that labor bear Jackson was given when he dislocated his shoulder. He was 14 and had no doubts that he would one day be tall enough to become a basketball player. He was playing a game with his friends and they thought it would be funny if Jackson sat on someones shoulders to score a few points. Needless to say, it didn't work out. His friend tripped on a water bottle two mintes into the game.   
  
  
Getting his arm popped back into place was a walk on the beach compared to this shit.   
  
  
He hoped that Jaebum was right. That they could fix this. He used to believe that all deaths were the same. At some point, the person would just stop feeling and it would all be over. Not anymore. He knew that this pain would only get worse. It would be there for his last breath.  
  
  
*  
  
  
They're back.   
  
  
Jackson scratches his leg. It's so itchy and he can swear something is moving in his wound again. When he pulls his hand back, it's covered in broken maggots and rotted skin.  
  
  
Panicking, he yanks the blanket off. It's spread all the way down his leg. The flesh is rotted. He can see the bones on his foot as maggots crawl in and out.   
  
  
"Jaebum...." He starts to cry, "please help." He waits for a response. "Hyung?"   
  
  
When he looks up, everyone is gone. The store is empty. Sometime during the night, Jaebum took the others and left him there. "Hello?!" He goes to get up, but when he looks down, his hands are gone. The bugs ate his hands. He's literally being eaten alive by insects. "HELP!" He tries to scream. His body isn't letting him. He can no longer move. All he can do is lay there while he's eaten alive.   
  
  
Suddenly, there is banging on the door. Loud banging. It's the infected trying to get in.   
  
  
**"Jackson wake up, you're having a nightmare."** Felix is sitting over him, looking worried.   
  
  
The store is still dark and he can hear light snores from the others that are still sleeping. Jaebum and Hyunjin are cuddled up only a few feet away from him. Everyone is still here. "What time is it?" His voice is shakey, but he's not sure if it's from the nightmare, or the fact that it's freezing in the store. They all cuddle together on the floor for warmth every night, but Jackson's nightmares cause him to roll away from them.  
  
  
After a week of trying every kind of antibiotic the store had, his infection finally seemed to go away. He still takes pills every morning, and will continue to do so for the next week or two. At least until the wound on his leg closes up completely. Either way, it was a lie when heard people say that human beings forget about pain. He can't forget it. His dreams won't let him.  
  
  
Felix checks his watch. "5:03." He replies. There's a loud bang on the metal door so they rush over to the window to see what the noise was. Even with the steel door rolled down, they are able to watch the outside world if they want. Normally, Jaebum is perched by the window, studying them. His notebook that was once filled with lyrics, now has tons of information on the infected. Jackson always avoids the window. It's not that he's scared. No. That's not the reason.... okay, maybe just a little. Mostly he avoids the window because it's depressing.   
  
  
"They look like animals." Felix gasps. By now the sun is coming up. One of the many things they've learned is the infected don't like the sun. Now it makes sense why they weren't attacked on their way to the store. The infected only go outside in the daylight if they are chasing something. Can they see them in the sunlight? Maybe not, but if there are a dozen chasing a person down a street, the chances of survival are still pretty low.  
  
  
Jackson watches as the last of the infected run into their buildings. Felix is wrong, animals aren't like this. Animals attack if they feel threatened. These things are monsters. "Maybe it has something to do with the pigmant change in their eyes? I once owned a rat that had red eyes. It was sensitive to sunlight." Felix says in English. Lately, he's been Jackson's shadow-not that he minds at all. He remembers what it was like to move to South Korea and not know the language. What he can't imagine is that happening during a zombie outbreak. Felix hadn't even been training with the company for half a year.  
  
  
The trainees seeing the concert was a 'treat'. A way to motivate them to do better.   
  
  
"Mmhm." The blonde looks away for a moment to remove the bandage from his leg. That nightmare is still heavy on his mind. There's no more maggots or pus, but the wound is open. What would a doctor do? His grandfather was a doctor yet he knew nothing about the medical field. Hell, he had problems clearing up a common cold.  
  
  
All he does know is that this is going to take a long time to heal. Of all the things Jackson wrote down in that stupid notebook, he never thought about what would happen if he got sick. Shouldn't that be the most important thing.   
  
  
 "What causes photosensitivity? Do you think it's ecause my rat was albino?"  Felix continues, oblivious to Jackson's worries.  
  
  
Jackson looks up from his leg. "Are there any pets you didn't have when you lived in Australia?" He teases.   
  
  
Felix pretends to think for a moment. "Nope." He grins. "I'mserious! If it's part of whatever is wrong with them, there might be a chance of a cure."   
  
  
_There will never be a cure._ Of course, Jackson doesn't say this to him. Let him believe that there will be a happy ending. Felix and Hyunjin are so young, so fragile. He can't allow them to loose hope. He worries so much about them. "It could have something to do with it. Did you ever think about becoming a vet if kpop didn't work out?" He asks.   
  
  
"Well, considering the lack of competition, I might have a chance now." He jokes. As dark as it is, Jackson laughs. "I've never thought about becoming a vet. I love animals but I can't stand gore." He shudders. "I don't even like scary movies and now I'm living in one." His small hands reach up, pulling at the strings on his hoodie. "You know, my family is still in Austraila? Just a few weeks ago, my mom was talking about coming here." He pulls at the strings so that the hood tightens over his face. Jackson can still see the tears that roll past his chin. "Now she doesn't even know I'm still alive. What if I don't make it back to her?"   
  
  
Jackson winces. He never got to talk to his mother after the outbreak. He shakes his head, pulling Felix to him. "Don't think like that. You will make it back to her. I promise." He watches the last of the infected crawl into a building. "You're going to make it back home. You'll probably go back to school, or have to get your GED. Then you'll go to college," he grins, "to become a vet. And all this will just be some shitty, dark chapter in your life."   
  
  
Felix rests his head on Jackson's shoulder. "How do we know that the infection hasn't taken over the entire world? What if we leave here and there's nothing?"   
  
  
He tries to think of the best way to word what he wants to say.  "Even if it is like that, what's important to remember is that _we_ are alive. We'll protect each other. Our lives aren't over yet. We're just going to have to fight for them. Can you do that for me? Promise you'll keep fighting?"   
  
  
The younger smiles brightly in an attempt to ease Jackson's worries. "I will! I promise." He yawns, reminding the other that he should still be sleeping.   
  
  
Jackson smiles back. "Good."   
  
  
They walk back over to the others, who are still asleep. Felix takes his place back between Hyunjin and the wall, as Jackson lays down next to Jaebum. 

  
"You 'kay?" Jaebum asks sleepily.   
  
  
Jackson doesn't answer. He's not okay. Nothing about being stuck in a store with a hole in your leg while monsters run around outside is okay. Jaebum wraps his arms around him anyway and pulls him close. _'Stop. Stop taking care of me. Stop trying to make me feel better. I fucking abandonded you. Are you stupid?'_   His mind screams. But he can't bring himself to say any of that. Deep down, he needs this. When Jaebum holds him, it _does_ make him okay. Just a little bit.   
  
  
Felix falls back asleep almost immediately, yet, Jackson can't. He cuddles himself closer to Jaebum, thinking his dream over. Is that how Jaebum felt when he left him? His back was(and still is) injured. Jackson's mind was punishing him for what he had done. Everything was karma, from the gash on his leg, to the nightmares that haunted him. "I'm sorry, Jaebum." He says. No answer. JB has fallen back asleep, or maybe he's just sick of Jackson's apologies. 


	5. Made.

  
It was the most common question. One that every group could expect to be asked eventually.   
  
  
 _'If you had to date one member, who would it be?'_  
  
  
The question itself wasn't really bothersome. Most individuals had no trouble at all answering it. But for Jaebum, it was a nightmare. The question terrified him. His mind went into total chaos, his hands became sweaty, he felt lightheaded- it was total anxiety while on the outside, he just looked shy. For the longest time, Jaebum told himself that his feelings for Jackson were just that of admiration. _Everyone_ liked Jackson. He was that giddy, chinese guy, that walked around babbling in english, and somehow managed to have everyone laughing. Even when they had no idea what he was talking about.   
  
  
Jaebum was 18 when he started to notice that he felt differenty around Jackson. Honestly, he had no idea what those feelings were. All he knew was that his heart sped up whenever Jackson was near-a mix of nerves and excitement. Like that first day of school without all the dread. Despite being completely disabled when it came to being cute, he realised he was attracted to cute things.  
  
  
Jackson Wang was fucking adorable. Even when he was being scary(he could be very scary), JB thought it was adorable. 

  
Times were more simple when they were trainees. Jackson would come up to him and try to communicate while JB would show off his cool side.  
  
  
Attraction was what screwed everything up. That's what made things awkward. They became Got7 and they all started to live together. He found himself staring at parts of Jackson that he shouldn't be interested in. Whether it be his lips, that always looked wet and pink, or his body shape.   
  
  
He wasn't into guys. Yes, times where changing and there were plenty of gay(or questionable) male artists out there, but he wasn't one of them. He liked girls. Boobs. He liked boobs a lot.   
  
  
Jackson was.... the exception. The one time that Jaebum's preferences went out the window. Things got even worse when they began sharing a room. He thought he had seen everything there was to Jackson, but now it was daily. He had to  ~~watch~~ be around Jackson as they got dressed in the morning. He had to smell his cologne. The torment of having to hear him talk on the phone to countless girls that he was fucking or going to fuck. Jealousy was a bitch.  
  
  
So when he saw that his feelings where becoming too strong-after years of pining, he did what any sane person would do. He waited until Jackson went to China to shoot a variety show, then he bought a cat, and moved into Youngjae's now vacant room.   
  
  
It worked! Sort of. The feelings where still there, however, they faded over time. He was sure that his crush was completely over and he could move on with his life.   
  
  
Now it seemed like those old feelings were coming back.  
  
  
*  
  
  
"No! You're doing it wrong. You can't show me your cards." Felix laughs, trying to explain the game to Hyunjin with his broken Korean. Hyunjin sticks one of the cards to his forehead and shrugs. He _does_ know what Felix is saying. He can only speak basic english, but he understands it very well after living in the US. He's just enjoying watching Felix struggle.   
  
  
JB grins to himself. The trainees are adorable. He never really had time to get to know them like Jackson and Bambam did. When he was the leader of Got7, he didn't have time to talk with the new trainees. The company had purposely seperated him from them. He had to remain focused on his role as leader.  
  
  
Now, he could only see them as siblings he never had. They almost filled the small hole loosing Bambam had left.   
  
  
First of all, Felix is nothing more than a baby to him. His korean is downright  _awful_ (and lately, he's given up using it). He knows how to fight, but JB wouldn't trust such skills to kick in if he was being attacked. He talks a lot. And he thinks he's the most rugged guy in South Korea because he's from Austraila. Not a chance. Any small noise has him scared for his life. He's brave. For someone that is scared of so much, Jaebum can't help but feel proud for the aussies mental strength during such a time.   
  


Hyunjin is different. Mellow. Easy-going. Jaebum was never the type to cuddle. The only two people he really ever cuddled with during his trainee days was either Youngjae(who was a walking teddybear) or Jackson(for the obvious reasons). For the first few nights that they arrived at the store, Hyunjin would cry himself to sleep. Since Felix had become Jackson's shadow and they always ended up sleeping next to each other, Jaebum took it upon himself to confront the situation. He'd lay down next to him and hold him. Hyunjin never stopped crying, but being held seemed to help him fall asleep faster. He was the total opposite of Felix. He never spoke about why he cried(he didn't have too). But during the day time, he was good at acting like nothing bothered him. JB had a little more faith in him being able to protect himself. Sort of. He was a bit more focused and slightly more mature. 

  
Neither of them were really useful, and surprisingly, none of that mattered to him anymore. They weren't the ideal individuals to have around in a survival situation, and yet, JB was extremely grateful for their presence. Being alone in that room made him realise that his worst fear at the moment wasn't dying or getting bit. It was having no one.   
  
  
Abandoned.  
  
  
While he can't do much more than Jackson without hurting his back, he finds things in the pharmacy that can help them. He writes a few more notes down in what was his lyrics book. Since they had decided it would be impossible to leave any time soon, they've been studying the infected. Trying to understand their behavior, the way someone would if they discovered a new species of animal.   
  
  
No one talks about leaving anymore. Jackson's recovery is going to be slow and they've accepted that. He thought they could just hide out in the store for three days, gather what they need, then limp Jackson to the nearest car and take off. But that's not realistic. Although Jackson could keep down the amoxicillin, he wasn't about to heal overnight. It took days for just his fever to break. Even now, his leg has to be cleaned twice a day, he had to be helped everywhere because he didn't have crutches. The wound needed to be either redressed or left open.   
  
  
While Jackson healed, Jaebum liked to find what else would be useful. After copying down information on all the important medications, he stumbled upon something else.  
  
  
Of all the things in the store, this might be extremely helpful. Hopefully.   
  
  
"What are you going to do with all of these?" Jackson limps over to him, kicking at the rolls of duct tape. "You planning on taping their mouth shut so they can't bite us?"   
  
  
Jaebum chuckles. "Sure. If you want to get that close, go right ahead." He holds up a roll of tape. "When I saw these, I thought of what happened to you. We can't fit too much medical supplies in our backpacks. Gauze and wraps are great and all, but this," he rips off a piece of duct tape. "If one of us gets injured and we're trapped somewhere it might get infected, we can just put a piece of duct tape over it until we're safe. It'll stop the bleeding, and protect it from exposure."   
  
  
"Don't you think that's a little crazy? Slap duct tape on it? Do you know how much that will hurt when it comes off?"   
  
  
"No shit. But think about the bathroom. All that blood everywhere. Imagine if your on the run and you have a cut somewhere."  
  
  
"Alright. It  _might_ work," he gives in, taking a seat on the floor next to him. "Have you thought about what we're going to do when we leave?  Or even when?"  
  
  
JB sets his highlighter down, then takes a seat next to Jackson on the floor. He's been thinking about this for a while now. "Are you ready?"   
  


The blonde chews on the inside of his cheek for a second. "I don't know. In a way I feel like we should move on." He looks at Jaebum. "I'm scared. Not just about getting infected or killed. I'm scared that we aren't all going to make. I know that we can't stay in here forever, but once we leave the room, it's over. What if I'm the one that slows us down?"   
  
  
He nods, thinking over what Jackson said. Room. He meant to say 'store', and said 'room' instead. "Jackson, don't be scared. It's not going to be like the last time. We are more prepared now." He falls silent when he notices the tears rolling down Jackson's cheeks. "It's okay," he brushes the tears away with his thumbs then pulls him into a hug, "nothing is over. There's no rush to leave this store. We'll stay here until you're better-"  
  
  
"-I don't know when that's going to be." Jackson wipes at his face as more tears fall. He's trying to avoid the other two seeing him like this. "It's more than just my leg. I..." he runs his hands through his hair. The roots are so dark now, he has more brown than blonde. "I haven't been honest."   
  
  
"About what?" JB asks, more concerned about his tears than whatever he's hiding. It hurts to see Jackson cry.  He grabs one of the tissues and starts to wipe at his face gently.   
  
  
"Remember about... a month ago? When I passed out during practice." JB nods. "I had blood tests done and the doctor told me I'm anemic. I didn't really think much of it. They gave me vitamins and told me how to keep my iron levels up. But ever since I lost all that blood I haven't been feeling better. I feel lightheaded all the time. What if I end up passing out? I'll slow everyone down and someone will get hurt. I'm this bloodless, limpy thing-" He frowns when Jaebum starts to laugh. "Why is that so funny? Are you crazy?"   
  
  
JB shakes his head. "No it's just..." he laughs again, "We're a mess. It's the zombie apocolypse and we're so fucked up it's hilarious. When you think about it..." he snorts, "we're the zombies."   
  
  
Jackson does not find this funny at all. "I'm glad none of this is effecting you. I basically tell you we're fucked, and you think it's hilarious. You know hyung, you worry me. You swing that bat too well. I'm getting some serious killer vibes from you."   
  
  
He cringes at that last part. "Bambam might agree with you." He mumbles.   
  
  
"Oh my god, did you kill Bambam?" He gasps.   
  
  
"NO! No. But..." Jaebum licks his lips. "When you left Bambam tried to get in and... I slammed the door shut and his hand was in the way."   
  
  
Jackson groans. "Poor Bam. Do you think they feel anything?"   
  
  
Bambam's scream flashes through Jaebum's mind. "I don't think so." He lies. He can't tell Jackson the truth. It wouldn't help anyone at this point. "Let's clean up your leg before we go to sleep." They remove the bandage and takes a look. It's getting better. The smell is gone. It's no longer burning red. But it's still open. Jaebum gets to work, using q-tips to clean it out with peroxide. "It's going to be a nasty scar." He says.   
  
  
"You know, when the infected blood got all over me, I thought we would have to cut my leg off." He sighs. "Then you would have left me."   
  
  
"Nope." JB rebandages the wound. Leaving it to air was the best option, but while they slept it was safer to cover it. "I would've carried you."   
  
  
Jackson snorts. "You would carry me through Seoul?" He asks doubtfully.   
  
  
"I wouldn't have too." Jaebum reaches into his backpack and pulls out five sets of keys. He holds up two in particular. "You see these? All the others are cars that are parked in the garage. But these are from our staff members that like to park across the street to avoid the traffic on the way out." He holds up a key. "This car is parked right down the block. I saw it on our way in here."  
  
  
Now hopeful, Jackson smiles. "We can just hop in the car."   
  
  
"Maybe."   
  
  
His smile falls. "What do you mean 'maybe?' "   
  
  
Jaebum holds up another set of keys that Jackson recognises right away due to the hello kitty doll on it. "When Lily was doing my hair, she was complaining that she had to park two blocks down, across from the Starbucks. If we can't make it to the other car, or it doesn't work,  _this_ is a backup."   
  
  
Jackson's face lights up, "This is great! Why didn't you tell us sooner?" He asks.   
  
  
"I wasn't sure." He shrugs. "And to be honest I didnt want you to know. If you knew the car was out there, you would have never let your body heal. I wanted to make sure you were ready before we started thinking about all of this."   
  
  
The blonde rolls his eyes. "You know me a little bit too well." He mumbles.   
  
  
Jaebum nods in agreement. "I do. Just like I know you still feel bad for leaving me in that room." Jackson goes to speak, but Jaebum stops him. "Jackson, you wanted to do the right thing. Neither of our decisions were easy. You wanted to do the right thing and what I said to you was completely wrong. I'm..." he licks his lips. "I'm so grateful that I have you with me through all of this. You're not the first person I would have chosen, but I'm glad we ended up together." He grins as Jackson looks away, embarressed. "As for your condition, we'll see what iron pills they have here. You'll get better. I promise."   
  
  
Jackson seems to relax a little. "Okay hyung," he says cutely, trying to lighten up the moment.   
  
  
Jaebum chuckles, feeling the heat rise up his neck. Those familiar feelings are slowly coming back.  
  
  
*   
  
  
"Hyung! Wake up! You have to wake up! You have to see this."   
  
  
 _Oh god, we're all going to die. This is it,_ he thinks to himself. _No. Calm down. Let's find out what is wrong first.  
_  
  
Jaebum gets up and follows Hyunjin over to the window. For a moment, he doesn't understand what he's looking at because it's so dark. Then he hears it. It's pouring rain out. The first real storm since the outbreak. The infected are going fucking crazy, running around in the dark, trying to find the source. "Get back." JB's eyes are wide. "We have to get out of here." Lightening strikes, followed by thunder. From somewhere across the street, one of the infected jumps through a glass window. "I'll get Jackson. Get the backpacks."   
  
  
He hurries over to Jackson. "Wake up. We have to go." Jackson doesn't say a word. He starts to wrap over his leg with gauze then stops. He looks at Jaebum, then grabs the duct tape and slaps a piece over his wound. He winks and Jaebum grins as he checks over the backpacks to make sure they have everything they need.  
  
  
 **SMASH**  
  
  
"HYUNG!" Hyunjin puts his hand over Felix's mouth but it's too late. They heard him. More of them start to crash into the metal door. It's only a matter of time before they find that the door doesn't cover the window on the side.  
  
  
There's no time to do anything else. Jaebum grabs Jackson, then his bat, and helps him over to the back door. None of the infected are there.   
  
  
"It's just like we've been planning," he tells the others.   
  
  
They quietly begin to unblock the door. Once outside, Jaebum hits the alarm on the car keys.  
  
  
Nothing.  
  
  
"I'm scared. Can we please go back?" Felix's cries are muffled as Jackson pulls him into a hug. He has every right to be scared. There are no street lights and the infected are only a few feet away.   
  
  
Jaebum licks his lips. "Stay here." He hands Jackson his bat. He starts to move towards the front of the building, keeping as close to the wall as possible. He hits the button. Is the battery dead? The cars have been sitting for a while. "Shit." He hits the key again, now only inches from being seen by the infected.   
  
  
 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**  
  
  
The infected run to the car down the street and Jaebum runs back to the others. Nothing can describe his relief when he sees the three of them still standing there. Hyunjin is helping Jackson, while Felix seems to be looking over the bodies. "C'mon. We don't have much time."   
  
  
They stay close to the stores since the infected like to run in the streets where there is nothing in their way. The rain is soaking their clothes. Jackson's   already out of breath. They make it to the Starbucks.   
  
  
"No." Jaebum shakes his head. "Please no."  
  
  
The car is _wrecked_. It looks like someone lost control and crashed into it.   
  
  
He doesn't know what to do. Could they make it back to the store? Maybe back to the dressing room? Jackson can't go much further.   
  
  
 **Beepbeep**.  
  
  
"What was that?"  
  
  
 **Beepbeep**.   
  
  
A little bit down from them, a car is locking and unlocking. He looks back to where Felix is hitting buttons of a pair of keys. After realising they were going to be in the store for a while, Felix and Hyunjin had moved the body of the infected that attacked Jackson outside. Felix thought it would be a good idea to grab the mans keys.   
  
  
"Hurry!" They put Jackson in the back with Felix. Sounds of the infected are getting closer. Jaebum climbs into the drivers seat, Hyunjin in the passanger seat. The car goes on right away, but the headlights show that the infected have reached them.   
  
  
"DRIVE! THEY'RE COMING!" Jackson shouts from the back.   
  
  
Panicked, Jaebum bumps into the car behind him, then drives out, hitting one of the infected in the process. Another slams into the side of the car, rocking it.  
  
  
"GO!"   
  
  
He does. They take off and eventually the infected stop following.   
  
  
"Felix! Felix I fucking love you." Jackson says from the back, pulling the younger to him and showering him with kisses. They all laugh, still hysterical.  
  
  
Jaebum turns on the highbeams so that they can see the road clearly. As long as they keep a good speed, the infected seem to chase them for a short while then give up.  
  
  
"So where are we going now?" Hyunjin asks.   
  
  
The leader doesn't take his eyes off the road. "Out of the city."  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been written for weeks but I haven't had time to spellcheck it. I wanted to get something out for today. Happy Halloween! :)


	6. Sweet Talk.

"Yes?" Jaebum jumps up, pulling something out of his backpack. "YES!"  
  
  
Jackson looks up, startled. "What? Why? Are they here?" He looks around for signs of the infected.   
  
  
Jaebum just shakes his head, grinning. "I found my glasses!" He opens the black case that had been lost for years. "They were right here this whole time! Shoved down in the laptop compartment." He puts them on then bites his bottom lip in excitement.   
  
  
It's not really a big deal. They aren't guicci or anything. He just needs them to read, and to be honest, they are major nerd glasses. But he's _so_  happy. Jackson can't stop staring at him. How is he so good looking, even with those dorky, giant glasses? It was the zombie apocolypse, yet Im Jaebum was still the same sexy dork Jackson knew and loved.  
  
  
It the Jaebum that _only_ Jackson knew about. To everyone else, he was just chic and sexy.   
  
  
Jackson imagined that if he had grown up normal, JB would be sitting in a gamer chair at some medicore college, wearing those exact glasses and a Dragon Ball Z shirt, beating everyone at video games. He would have no sense of swag, and absolutely no idea how handsome he was. He would wear those glasses all throughout college, and even after he started his job. Probably something to do with computer programming. Ah yes, Jackson could see it. Jaebum showing up to work with messy black hair, a wrinkled white shirt, and a crappy red tie.   
  
  
Maybe in another life, that really was JB. Not the quiet, sexy, chic leader of Got7.   
  
  
Jackson used to **hate** Jaebum. He had trouble getting to know him in the beginning because he was so cold to everyone. The leader was always hanging out with the older guys that had either already debuted or were about to debut. He had a temper and always seemed to be looking for a fight. If Jackson said hello to him, he'd be nice, but there was always that sense of mocking. Jackson knew that the moment he left the room, the other trainees picked on his accent, or that he was Chinese. Maybe Jaebum didn't, but he was guilty by association, right?   
  
  
When Got7 became an official group, everyone prayed Jinyoung would be the leader. No. It was Jaebum. He was awful. He would yell at everyone no matter how much it hurt them. He'd chase and scare the younger members. He would scold them for every little thing. Then he would put on that cool guy act for the fan girls.   
  
  
It was just... _gross_.   
  
  
At one point, Jackson disliked him so much, he planned on taking him down. Yeah, that's right! He was tired of Jaebum scolding him about his korean. Honestly, since they debuted, shouldn't JB be the one trying to learn other languages? How would it look if the leader was the only one in the group that was not bilingual, hm? He hated that JB was so harsh on Bambam and Yugyeom. Okay, so maybe Jackson had to admit, he was a bit scared of the leader too. He'd joke and shout back, but it's not like he was the only one that was always clowning around. Seriously, the only one JB never seemed to scold was Mark. That's probably because Mark was American and his silence was slightly terrifying.   
  
  
He knew it was all an act. Jackson waited patiently for those walls to come down, thinking that once they did, he would have JB at his mercy. He would find out all the embarressing things he could and then he would use it all to his advantage. Blackmail. This was the only reason why he was excited about sharing a room with the leader. 

  
It was around the time 'Just Right' came out when Jackson moved in. He excepted the worst. Jaebum would have dozens of rules, probably a name tag on everything, and he would expect total silence.   
  
  
Jackson was wrong.   
  
  
When he moved into the room, Jaebum was.... nice. Welcoming, even. There was plenty of space for him, and JB even cleared an entire wall because he knew Jackson liked to display his hats. As far as roommates, the moment they entered that room, Jaebum never gave a single command. He would just go on his laptop, mess around with songs or play video games. He was actually pretty quiet.   
  
  
But no one is ever quiet with Jackson for long. He'd start out with small talk, as he lay on the top bunk, JB on the bottom. Sometimes, they'd talk for hours and the conversation would continue through dinner. Eventually, Jackson found himself on the bottom bunk _with_ Jaebum, talking about everything, sharing stories and secrets. The ones they repeated over and over to each other never got old.   
  
The walls _did_ come down, but instead of feeling more powerful, Jackson found a friendship that he never had before. So, when Jaebum confided in him about his past, Jackson started to admire him. Over the next few months, his life before Got7 slowly started to come out.   
  
  
Jaebum's childhood was a nightmare. His father was an angry alcoholic and his mother was too self-absorbed to give a shit. He was either getting beaten by his father, or listening to his parents scream at each other for hours. His mother yelled at his father about the way he treated Jaebum, but only to use it as a weapon in their arguments;  _not_ because she actually cared. Things got better when his parents divorced. His father disappeared and his mother never really spoke about it. At this time, Jaebum was just starting High school and new problems began to rise. He couldn't relate to other kids, and honestly, he had no interest in trying. His anger issues got him suspended, forcing him to switch schools. Soon, he couldn't make friends at all. Being alone was natural to him. It was easier than trying to constantly relate to other kids, or put on an act like he wasn't fucked up.  
  
  
Kpop saved him from what could have been a dark future. He only auditioned because he found out that if he joined a company, they would be in charge of his schooling and they'd provide a place to live. That was absolutely fine for Jaebum because his mother was back in the dating world. He wanted nothing to do with it. Luckily, he knew how to dance, but he didn't take things seriously at first. The older trainees seemed to like his attitude so he focused more on socialising. He finally had friends and they thought he was cool. That is, until JYP himself told JB that if he didn't start taking his music lessons seriously, he'd be cut from the program. JB started focusing on singing. He befriended Jinyoung and they were going to debut as a duo. He struggled with anger issues for years, but eventually, began to gain control of his life. They made him the leader of Got7 because it would keep him in line knowing that if he screwed up, he would ruin the lives of six others.  
  
  
Learning all of this changed everything. Jackson's plan was over. Instead, he started spending more time with Jaebum even when they were out of the room. Now that he had opened up, Jackson understood him. And now that he understood him, he didn't mind those small things that bothered him. With the stories Jaebum told of his childhood, it amazed Jackson that he wasn't living on the streets, or hanging around bars like his father. He downright admired him.   
  
  
 _' **Don't** fall for someone you work with. **Don't** fall for someone you work with.'_He would tell himself over and over. It was impossible. Now that Jaebum was comfortable with him, he was literally the sweetest, nicest guy he had ever met. He also knew that Jaebum was loyal. He never had to worry about the leader talking bad behind his back, or planning against him. Best of all, he understood Jackson. He always knew exactly what to say and do to make sure Jackson didn't feel left out. Why couldn't he just ask him out?  
  
  
Jaebum was straight. Really straight. Jackson was sure of it. He even seemed to dislike anything that came off as 'gay'. So Jackson took those pesky feelings, locked them in a box, and did everything he could to prevent Jaebum from finding out his true feelings. He would change comfortably in front of him. Call and flirt with girls on the phone(most of which he had no insterest in at all). Yet, his feelings continued to grow. So much that it literally hurt and was starting to become obvious among other members.   
  
  
 _'Why don't you just fuck him? That way you can get off **my** ass.'_Bambam had snapped at him at him one day. He was drunk, but the words still scared the hell out of Jackson.  
  
  
Jaebum had set up a strict drinking rule while they were at a fansign in Japan. No drinking past midnight. Jaebum always made it clear that he didn't really like alcohol, but he never minded if the members drank. The only reason he placed the restriction was because it would be a disaster if their fans found out they reeked of alcohol while walking through the airport. They all had a flight to catch the next morning and Jaebum didn't want any issues.   
  
  
Of course Bambam was going through some silly rebellious stage with Yugyeom. He was already drunk and it was 1am when Jackson finally found him. His new friendship with Jaebum was no secret and now, it seemed like neither were his feelings.   
  
  
After Bambam said that, he did what any sane person would do. He took the first chance to appear on a variety show in China and left.   
  
  
*  
  
  
It's been a month since the outbreak. An entire month and yet it feels like only yesterday. Traveling after the outbreak was something completely different to them. Their main goal was to stay away from any populated areas. They found supplies by going through abandonded vehicles on the side of the road. They siphoned any gas they could find. It was better this way. They never tried to find any other survivors. Even if they saw another car driving around, they would keep going. They had a goal, and that was to find the joint South Korean-American Air Force base. A trip that would have normally taken a day, was lasting almost a full week. If a road was blocked, they had to turn around. If they got to close to a town or city, the infected would run outside and try to chase their car.   
  
  
"You should take a break. You've been driving for hours." Jackson finally speaks up. JB won't say it aloud, however it's clear that his back is killing him. Every few minutes he leans forward, wincing.   
  
  
"I'm fine." He mumbles. "I'm thinking about taking a left up here. That might take us right into a small town." He says in a poor attempt to distract them from what Jackson just said.   
  
  
Jackson glares and rips the map out of Jaebum's hand. "Pull over now."   
  
  
"I will. Let's just get out of this town first-"   
  
  
"-NOW."  
  
  
Jaebum slams on the breaks. "Fine! Fine. I'll stop the car and we can just sit here, just like I've been doing for the past twelve hours, and you know what? My back is still going to fucking hurt."  
  
  
"Then you shouldn't be driving at all. Let Hyunjin drive." Jackson tries to reason with him.   
  
  
"There's no point. Whether I'm sitting in the passanger seat or the drivers seat, my back is still fucked up. The best thing we can do is find the military base and-AHHHHH!"   
  
  
All of them scream at the tapping on the window. Out of panic, Jaebum steps on the gas and the car punches forward, right into the brick wall of a building. This is it. They're going to fucking die. Any moment now, the infected are going to come out for them. Surround their car. Break in through the windows and pull them out one by one like a bag of stupid dorritos.   
  
  
Jaebum watches the airbag deflate from his chest. Hyunjin just stares ahead, shocked.   
  
  
"Is everyone okay?" Jackson asks. He smashed his nose on the head rest in front of him. There's no bleeding. Felix looks alright, just upset. He looks out to the woman that tapped on the window. She's still standing their. She waves at them, motioning for them to follow her. "What should we do?"  
  
  
The leader unbuckles his seat belt. "We might as well go with her, the crazy old..." he continues to mumble as he climbs out of the car. It's getting dark now. There's maybe an hour of light left and the infected will start coming out. The rest of them grab their backpacks and follow her inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi Everyone! I decided to split this chapter in half and combine it with the next chapter. While this chapter is very sweet, the next one will not be pretty at all. 
> 
> Also, I have two other stories out. Apples Candy Bloody and Waste It Wisely. Eventually, there will be more stories and one day, they will be combined together into one big story. It's all the same universe/series. So at the moment, there will be some easter eggs, but they don't have anything to do with each other yet. Feel free to check them out if you're looking for something new to read. ^_^


	7. Fault.

**Warning: Character death**  
  
  
  
  
"Sorry I startled all of you! I haven't seen a car around here for days." She's a seamstress. Her walls are decorated with all kids of clothing that she can make. Dresses, jackets, wedding gowns, jerseys. "The nice military men come here once a week. I thought you were them."   
  
  
"Military?!" Jaebum almost knocks his tea over. "They come here?"   
  
  
The woman nods. "Yes. Very nice. They always come here, bring food, give me updates on things, ask if I want to come back with them." She gives a sad smile. "But the wait is so long. An old woman like me should just stay here. If it's meant to be, it'll happen."   
  
  
Jackson and Felix exchange looks. Jaebum is excited, but  _they_ don't exactly believe her. None of what she said makes sense.   
  
  
"How far is the military base from here?"   
  
  
"Maybe 5 miles. But I wouldn't try getting there now. The highway is blocked and the back roads can get confusing. It's best to travel on foot in the morning." She says calmly. "There aren't many monsters left in this town since the military came and cleaned it out. Sometimes they make it here so it's better to be careful." She gets up from the table. "Tonight you can stay in my daughters room. My Rosie is in America right now, studying."   
  
  
*  
  
  
After tea, they each take turns in the shower. It's brutally cold because the heat doesn't work, but JB is grateful for it anyway. Rather than leaving his clothes outside, he brings them in with him and washes them the best he can. He's the first to finish up, so heads to the bedroom, his bat in one hand, wet clothes in the other.   
  
  
The room is a nice size. Everything is covered in a thick layer of dust and it's clear that the girl who lived here hasn't been back in quite some time. The dressers still have cute items on top. Walls are decorated with photos. The mattress on the floor is large enough for all four of them to...manage.   
  
  
"The air in the room is stale." Jackson enters the room and opens the window. He stands by it for a moment, large brown eyes staring off in a distance. "Do you really believe her? Why would the military visit some random old lady?" He points to the sky. "Wouldn't we see lights from the base?"  
  
  
Jaebum opens up the drying rack, not happy with the doubt in Jackson's voice. "Because she's an outpost. A check point. I believe her. If she was crazy, what are the chances of her making up a story about a military base that our map shows is in this area?" He begins laying his clothes out neatly along with Jackson's. They probably won't dry completely by tomorrow but at least they're clean. "Why are you so quick to call her a liar?"   
  
  
The younger sighs as he sits on the bed. "I want too, it's just- we've been looking for this place for a week. Even if we get there, what are the chances that they'e willing to help. They probably packed their shit and left the moment it all started. Or they've been overrun."   
  
  
"Jackson," JB sits next to him on the bed, "what's wrong? When this all started you were gung-ho about traveling to China."   
  
  
"The reality of the situation hit," he points to his leg. Even though it's scabbed over, it still looks like hell. Jaebum's eyes widen. With all this going on, he forgot about Jackson's infection. Grabbing his backpack, he starts to pull out the cream and proper dressings. He hands them to Jackson. "What's our next plan if the military thing doesn't work out?" Jackson's getting upset. His hands are shaking as he applies the ointment. They are so close to their goal, so doubt is kicking in.  
  
  
Jaebum pulls Jackson into a hug. "We'll find a place," he tells him, "sort of like this one. Stock it up. Set up some signs on the roof and just keep surviving. We'll take care of each other. That won't change." He opens the bandage and holds it to Jackson's leg while he uses the medical tape to keep it in place. "Does that make you feel better?"   
  
  
"Maybe." Jackson sets the medical supplies to the side, then tugs Jaebum's arm, pulling him so that they are both laying down. Jaebum adjusts his towel so that it doesn't fall open, then props his head up on his hand so that he's looking down at the younger. "Will you be honest with me about something?" Jackson asks.  
  
  
"Sure, what?" He swallows nervously.  
  
  
"Does my hair look like shit?"  
  
  
Jaebum laughs in relief. He runs his fingers through the wet locks. "Does it really matter? I'm pretty sure our schedule has been cancelled."   
  
  
He rolls his eyes. "No, I'm serious. Is it bad?"   
  
  
He thinks for a moment. "Yeah, it's pretty bad, but it's still not the worst hair style you've had."   
  
  
Jackson rolls his eyes. "You'll never let me live _that_ down, huh?" He sighs.   
  
  
"Not even in the zombie apocolypse." He gently brushes back the strands of hair that have fallen into Jackson's face. "We can just cut your hair really short." His fingers trail lightly over his cheek. "You look fine." Their eyes lock.  
  
  
"Fine?" Jackson licks his lips. " _You_ look perfect."  
  
  
Jaebum can't find his breath. He would like to debate that. He could spend hours telling Jackson, in detail, everything about him that is still beautiful. Starting with his beautiful brown eyes.  
  
  
He can't explain how he feels at the moment. All he knows is that every cell in his body is begging him to do it. Just lean in, and find out if those lips taste as good as they look.   
  
  
Why not? It's just a kiss.   
  
  
"We're going to wash the clothes that are in the backpacks. My socks have a hole in them and-oh..." Felix slaps his hand over his mouth, ears turning red. "Sorry."  
  
  
Both Jackson and Jaebum pull apart so fast the bed slides. "No, it's okay. I was just... we were just talking. We can wash more clothes." Jaebum adjusts his towel to hide his excitement. ' _Did I just almost kiss him? Why did I just do that? I'm too horny. I need to jerk off.'_ He glances back to the bed, where Jackson has rolled over, probably asleep.  
  
  
*  
  
  
"Thank you so much for this."   
  
  
He can't say it enough. He's not even sure how she did it. There are four, beautiful, leather jackets hanging over the chair. They were a surprise for them when they woke up this morning. According to her, they are made of a strong leather that won't tear easily, and will protect their body well if they are attacked. Her years of experience allowed her to choose the perfect sizes without even measuring them.   
  
  
But now it's time to move on. "It's no problem. Now, this is the road you should take. It cuts off here, but you can just walk through the buildings and it will bring you towards the back entrance of the base. You'll know its the base because of the hotel right across from it. Make sure you tell them Ruby sent you."   
  
  
Jaebum reaches into his backpack. She's doing very well. There is pleanty of food here, and no signs of the infected. But last night he noticed that she's run out of all her medications. Some for pain, much like the ones he takes for his back, and others for blood pressure. All of the bottles are empty.   
  
  
"It's not much but asprin will help with your blood pressure and these will help with your aches." He hands her a bag of asprin.   
  
  
She smiles, grateful for the small gift. "Take care of yourselves. And remember, travel on foot."  
  
  
*  
  
  
They get out of the car. "Fuck. We'll never make it through all of this. We should just do what she said and walk. It'll be a straight shot from here." Jaebum yanks the map open in frustration.   
  
  
"I don't know. The car is safer. We can try to travel the back roads." Felix says. He already has on the leather jacket. The others tried to convince him that it was too hot to wear it, however, he said it was worth the extra protection.  
  
  
" _If_ there really is a base. What if she was senile? Maybe she remembers something that's no longer there." Jackson says. "I mean, the military comes and visits her? JB, you always told me to think realistically. Wouldn't we hear planes, or see signs?"  
  
  
JB frowns. "How can someone, so far gone, make jackets like this? She was telling the truth. Maybe... we can go back to her and just wait for another visit. She said they would show up any day now."   
  
  
Hyunjin nods. "I like that idea. We can grab some food out of these cars and hide out with her. If nothing happens after a few days, we can try again."   
  
  
Jackson runs his hands through his hair, frusterated. "I say we just get in the car and try to think of something else." He suggests, but no one seems to agree with him. Jaebum is already trying to figure out the fastest way to get back to Ruby. "Fuck this." He walks off the road. He can't even look at them right now. How can they be so stupid? He stops behind a tree, rolling his eyes when he hears Jaebum's awkward steps following him. "Just let me cool off. I'll meet you guys back up there." He mumbles.   
  
  
"Jackson, we have to keep moving forward. If we start going back, who knows what will happen." He leans up against the opposite side of the tree. "We can go back to her and if nothing happens in a couple of days, then you can decide where we go next."   
  
  
The blonde smiles a bit, the heat of his anger disappearing. He really doesn't have any ideas, but he appreciates that Jaebum is trying to be fair. "Look, I'm fine with whatever-"  
  
  
They both stop.  
  
  
"Did you hear that?" Jaebum blinks, jumping when he hears the screams again. Felix and Hyunjin are still up there. 

  
They run. Even with Jackson's damaged leg and Jaebum's painful back, they make it back up to the road in seconds.  
  
  
It's too late. Felix is lying on the ground, trying to fight off an infected Hyunjin. There is no time to think. Not even a fraction of a second to think of a different way to approach this. Jaebum swings his bat and Hyunjin rolls off of Felix, his head falling limp as if there are no more bones in his neck.   
  
  
All sound dims.   
  
  
Felix is still screaming, totally hysterical.   
  
  
"Did you get any blood on you?" Jackson is asking, checking to make sure.   
  
  
"Is he dead?! JACKSON! IS HE DEAD?" Felix is sobbing.  
  
  
Jackson just continues to check him over. His face is pale. He doesn't even know what to say, so he says nothing.   
  
  
Jaebum falls to his knees, pulling Hyunjin's lifeless body from the ground. This can't be real. There's no way he just killed him. How could he be gone like this? Just earlier today he was fine.   
  
  
He doesn't even look infected.   
  
  
There's blood on the side of his head, some coming out from the corner of his mouth. But other than that, he looks like he's asleep. It's not his first time having to kill one of the infected, but this is so different. This was Hyunjin. Hyunjin. How many times did they cuddle together in the store to keep warm? Jaebum held Hyunjin while he cried himself to sleep because he missed his mother. Hyunjin always complains about the music they pick in the car. Hyunjin gave Jaebum his last starbust this morning. He was literally standing next to Jaebum ten minutes ago, talking to him.  
  
  
Hyunjin is dead.   
  
  
In the background, Jackson is screaming, but Jaebum can't process what's happening. The bat is picked up from next to him and Jackson is swinging at someone.   
  
  
No.   
  
  
He looks up, terrified that it might be Felix. It's not. Jackson killed the one that infected Hyunjin.   
  
  
The blonde doesn't let go of the bat as he returns to Felix. There might be more.  
  
  
"He went to find more food. He asked if I wanted to go with him but I..." Felix starts to hiccup.   
  
  
Jaebum just sits there. Maybe he can bring him back? No. The bones in his neck are oddly set. Did he react to quickly? He might have been able to pull Hyunjin off. Yeah. Why did he immediately go for the kill? Even with Bambam, Jaebum did what he could to make sure he didn't get hurt. He could've distracted Hyunjin. Locked him in a car and ran with the others.   
  
  
Why didn't he do it differently?  
  
  
At some point Felix stops crying. He's still extremely shaken so Jackson is holding him tightly.  
  
  
The question of what to next now lingers.  
  
  
Jaebum doesn't want to bury Hyunjin. Not yet. There might be a cure. What if they get to the military base and they can do something? Bring him back and fix him.  
  
  
"Can I hold him for a minute?" Felix moves next to him, face swollen from crying. He holds his arms out as if waiting to carry an infant. Jaebum doesn't say anything. He just carefully hands Hyunjin over.   
  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't go with you. You saved my life and I stayed in the car when you needed me. I should've went with you." Felix is telling him.   
  
  
Jaebum doesn't agree. Thank god he didn't go. He could've been infected too. Hyunjin should've been wearing his jacket. Now that he's at a distance, JB can see the bite mark on Hyunjin's forearm.  
  
  
"We can't stay here. It's going to be dark soon." Jackson says, "What do you want to do?"   
  
  
Felix hugs Hyunjin. "I think... we should bury him. Can we do that?" He asks.  
  
  
Jackson sighs, trying to be delicate. "We don't have a shovel. I think the best thing to do would be to burn his remains? So that we don't just leave his body here." He rubs at Felix's back. "We'll make it really nice, okay?" Felix nods. A few moments later, Jackson returns with the blanket Hyunjin used to sleep in that morning. It smells a bit strange. JB wonders if Jackson doused it in lighter fluid on the way over. They remove his clothes and shoes before carefully rolling him up into the blanket. After tying it tightly, they start to gather things to help it burn. Dry sticks. Dead leaves. As long as they stay by the road, they wont have to worry about any trees catching fire.   
  
  
He's not even sure what to do. He can't even look at them. Jackson has taken over at this point while Jaebum sits holding Hyunjin's jacket. He should've been wearing it.   
  
  
"Please come back," Jackson begs, pulling Jaebum from his thoughts. "I can't do this alone. I know that you feel like what happened to Hyunjin was you're fault but it wasn't. If you didn't act as quickly as you did, we would have had to bury two bodies. Or worse. We can't go back and save them. Their gone. But we have to keep moving forward."   
  
  
It's a lovely speech, but it doesn't help. Jaebum wipes at his face and nods.   
  
  
Jackson sits down next to him and wraps his arms around him. "You know I love you, right?" He asks, using the same line JB always used when he was upset. Jaebum doesn't respond. He just stares at the fire.   
  
  
"Hey guys, I think I found the military."   
  
  
Tomorrow when he wakes up, Hyunjin will be gone. Everything that he had will still be in the car.   
  
  
"Guys?"   
  
  
Jaebum and Jackson both turn to look at the road. A humvee has stopped on the road and is shining bright lights at them. Jaebum quickly steps in front of the other two, his hands raised in defense.   
  
  
 _"How many of you are there? Hold up the number with you're fingers."_ A korean soldiar shouts.   
  
  
Jaebum shows them three fingers.   
  
  
 _"Are any of you infected? Yes or No."_  
  
  
"No."   
  
  
The weapons are lowered and the lights dimmed.   
  
  
 _"We have vaccinations and shelter. Are you willing to come with us to recieve treatment?"  
_  
  
"Fuck yes." 


	8. Not What They Thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! Thank you all for your love and support of this story.)

  
  
  
"Are there any side effects?" Jackson stares at the set of needles as he recalls all the times he got flu shots. They always warned him about the possible outcome.  
  
  
The nurse gives him a look that is less than comforting. "It's different for everyone. The vaccines come in sets of two's, all from different locations. We've had some incidents where the patient became ill after, or it just didn't work at all. One patient had a heart attack right on the spot. The most common side effects might be nausea, allergic reaction, birth defects, sterilization, pain or swelling-"  
  
  
"-who got the other one out of this set?" He asks, feeling sick to his stomach. "You said they come in two's."  
  
  
"The young man you came here with. He's fine. He didn't ask about the side effects." She sterilizes the area. "If you don't accept the vaccine, you can't go any further. Let me know what you decide to do."   
  


He looks through the glass door, into the waiting room where Jaebum is sitting with no visible side effects from the vaccine. Only from the horrors that happened before they arrived here. He  _still_ isn't acting the same. It's terrifying. Throughout the entire night, they've been moving through the processing center. Jaebum never says a word and only speaks when asked. He doesn't question the endless shots he's given. He doesn't try to talk to any of the other survivours. Instead he silently stares ahead, locked in thought.   
  
  
Who could blame him?  
  
  
Jackson, on the other hand, couldn't begin express how grateful he was that Jaebum had reacted so quickly. His heart was broken over the loss of his friend, but Felix was okay. Thanks to JB. When they reached the road, his mind didn't process what was going on right away. For some reason when he saw Felix being attacked, all he could wonder was _'Why are they fighting?'_ Then Jaebum swung and he thought, _'Oh... that's why.'_    
  
  
They would probably all be dead if it wasn't for JB, yet, he sits in the waiting room, looking as if he's processing being stabbed in the heart.   
  
  
"Do it," Jackson looks away. Jaebum already got the vaccine. Whatever happens, at least they'll go through it together.   
  
  
There are no symptoms. At least not yet. Jackson heads back into the waiting area with his folder. "It says here that we can go grab lunch after being vaccinated. Did Felix come out yet?"   
  
  
Jaebum blinks. "Uhm... he just got called in." He runs a hand through his hair.   
  
  
The younger sits down next to him. "Okay." He lightly bumps his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"   
  
  
"Fine."   
  
  
Jackson frowns, resting his chin on Jaebum's shoulder. "Okay. Promise you'll eat something?" He begs, knowing that he didn't even take a bite of his breakfast.   
  
  
The leader nods silently.   
  
  
"Well, good news is, I'm not deaf." Felix emerges from the office. Unlike the other two, he looks more rested. They had taken him to the pediatrics office the moment they arrived so he was the first to recieve his vaccines, check ups, and blood work. Up until an hour ago, he had been sleeping in the waiting room while the other two went through the medical process. Thanks to Jaebum needing back x-rays and Jackson's leg, it was taking them much longer. Now that his hearing was checked, all that was left was an eye exam that could be done after lunch.   
  
  
Jackson smiles at him brightly. "That's great! It looks like we'll be sent to lodging before dinner. Are you hungry?"   
  
  
The lunch hall is nearly full by the time they arrive. There are two chow halls on the base and this is the larger of the two. This side of the base is where the medical facility is located. The two main lodging buildings are for survivors. One for families, one for orphans and elders.   
  
  
The other side has mostly adult survivors and military personel, followed by the flightline.   
  
  
Luckily, the three of them were counted as a family, so they would be staying in the family dorms.   
  
  
"I'll go grab a table." Jaebum mumbles, but Jackson grabs his arm and stops him.   
  
  
"No way. You need to eat something. We'll find a table. Just stay here." Jackson thanks the man that hands him his tray of food. It's really not bad. The plate has three sections, rice, beef stew, and a vegetable. It's a lot of food and it covers the plate completely. They also recieve one bottle of water, a cookie, and a cup for either coffee or tea.   
  
  
Jaebum heads straight for an empty table, while Jackson and Felix bring their cups to get tea.   
  
  
"Is he going to be alright?" Felix asks, watching JB set his food down.   
  
  
"He'll be okay. He's tired." Jackson tells him. "Don't worry."   
  
  
"Felix?"   
  
  
Jackson looks around, confused. Was it a doctor? Did they forget to sign something at the pediatrics office? It was really busy there.   
  
  
"Felix."   
  
  
Someone touches Felix's arm and he turns. "Chris!" He covers his mouth, eyes watering instantly. "Chris! How did you.... when did you get here?!"   
  
  
Chris, or also known as Chan, is alive and well. Jackson grins at the familiar face. He remembered meeting Chris when he was a small child and best friends with Bambam. Of course, they all got along because they could speak english. And Mark. Jackson goes back to fixing his tea, trying not to think about it.  
  
  
Chris hugs him tightly, his eyes bright with excitement. "I couldn't go to the concert because I was sick. But...ah, it's such a long story. Did any of the others make it?" Felix shakes his head and Chris hugs him again. "I'm happy you're here." He pulls back, only because he notices Jackson. "Hyung! You're here too!"   
  
  
Jackson grins, lightly patting his back. "Yeah. Jaebum is here too." He replies. As happy as he is to see Chan, he's more happy for Felix. "Are you here with anyone?"   
  
  
Chris presses his lips together in a thin line and shakes his head. "No. I don't... I haven't spoken to my family since the outbreak. I was at the hospital when it all happened and the pediatric patients were transferred here right away. The infection broke out at the hosptial fast."   
  
  
"I believe it." Jackson says, leading them to the table. It spread through their concert fast. He could imagine that people were bringing the infected to the hospital. "JB, look who we ran into."   
  
  
The bruenette looks up, for the first time that day his eyes light up. "Chris?! Oh my god. How did you make it out of the concert? Were Jinyoung and Mark with you?"   
  
  
Chris hugs him, "No. I wasn't even at the concert. I haven't seen them around. Maybe you can check the list?"   
  
  
Jaebum nods. "Yeah. I was planning on doing it after lunch." He takes a bite of food, not missing Jackson's sigh of relief. "I mean, after Felix's eye exam."   
  
  
Chris smiles brightly. "Aw, I can take him for the eye exam if you want to go check it out. Do you have your room number yet?"   
  
  
"204A." Jackson says. "Uhm, I guess we could meet up after. Are you sure you're okay going without us?" It feels strange. This is still the zombie outbreak, and yet, in these walls life is almost normal. He doesn't feel right letting Felix wander around the base without him.   
  
  
Felix nods. "I'll be fine with Chris! Really. I promise I'll go right to the dorms after the exam."   
  
  
Ugh, how can he say no? Felix is so happy to have a friend again- and a fellow aussie. "Fine. But remember, we have the meeting with the travel station at 5pm." He reminds him.   
  
  
Chris nods. "Ah, yeah. They'll tell you when your scheduled to leave. I'm scheduled to leave soon because I'm an orphan and it still doesn't show that I'm 18 in the system." He explains. "They're going by what my age would be in America."   
  
  
"Orphans leave sooner?" JB asks.   
  
  
"I guess it's because we're so young and we don't have anyone to watch us. There are a lot of kids here. But if you fall under the family list, you should be pretty high on the list too!"   
  
  
*  
  
  
Neither of them were truly expecting to find any names on the list, however, it still hurts. A few names are familiar, but either the age, or location doesn't match. On a plus side, now that most people are heading to the dorms for the night, the phones are free.   
  
  
JB waits paitently as Jackson dials his brother who lives in Australia.   
  
  
 _"I can't believe you're still alive! How are they treating you there? Are you with anyone else?"_ His brother asks.   
  
  
Jackson is practically hugging the phone to his ear. "They're treating me really well. I don't know what my travel situation will be yet. I'm here with my friends Jaebum and Felix." He says, "Have you heard from mom or dad?"   
  
  
 _"Yeah! I heard from them last night. China evacuated to a base in New Zealand. If everything goes smooth, they'll be here within a few weeks."_  
  
  
"That's," Jackson pulls back from the phone, trying not to get too emotional from the great news, "that's great! Do you have their number so I can give them a call?" JB quickly starts to scramble around for a pen and paper, but is confused when Jackson shakes his head for him to stop. After a few more words, Jackson ends the converstaion by promising he will call again as soon as possible.   
  
  
Jaebum frowns. "Why didn't you let me get you a pen? Or at least tell me the number so I could remember it?" They step aside so that the next person can use the phone.   
  
  
"Becuase I can't talk to them." He shrugs. "It's hard to explain. I just know that if I talk to my mom, I'll break down and probably cry like a baby. I can't do that. Not yet. Once I get out of South Korea, I'll call her."   
  
  
The other nods. "I understand that," he smiles a bit, lightly bumping into Jackson's shoulder. "Want to walk the base a bit before our appointment?" He offers and Jackson accepts.  
  
  
*  
  
  
"Next." 

  
They follow the woman into the office and take a seat in the chairs across from her desk. None of them know what to expect. "I have the three of you marked off as a family unit, correct?"   
  
  
They nod. It was strange to consider themselves that, however, it was an option due to the situation. Because of the situation, any group that survived with a minor(even if the minor wasn't blood related), were permitted to stay together for the sake of the child.   
  
  
 _"But isn't that a bit...Billy Zane of us?" Jackson had asked in the waiting room as they were filling out the forms.  
  
Jaebum looked up from the form. "Billy-who?"   
  
"You know, the bad guy in Titanic who snuck onto the boat with the kid?" Jackson grabs Felix and holds him to his chest. "I hAVe A CHilD! Please, I'm all he has left in the world." He acted out the scene, causing the three of them to laugh._  
  
  
"Mr. Wang, you stated here that you made contact with your family and they are safe. Mr. Lee is almost 100% sure that his family is okay in Austrailia. And, I'm very sorry for your loss Mr. Lim." Jaebum nods. "So let me explain how it works. So far, we have one flight leaving per month with 40 passangers in each. The first flight will be leaving by the end of this week, and it's going to be all orphans, infants to the age of 12. The flight after will be orphans from 12 to 18. Families come next. Then young adults and elders. You are scheduled to leave in January."  
  
  
Jackson sits back. It was May. Meaning, they weren't scheduled to leave until next year. "Fuck." He mumbles.   
  
  
The woman nods. "I understand. But let me explain, none of this is set in stone. As of right now, Alaska is the only place accepting survivors from South Korea. And we aren't the only military base sending people. This virus is still spreading rapidly throughout Asia. Bases from other countries are sending people as well. They can only process so many people at once, while also being as safe as possible to prevent the virus from reaching them." She explains. Jackson and Felix nod in understanding, while Jaebum remains silent. "Here is where it gets tricky. If more orphans arrive, the date will be pushed back further. HOWEVER, if more countries accept the survivours, we can send more planes out and you could be leaving by early fall. So there is no way to tell exactly when you'll leave."   
  
  
Both Jackson and Jaebum make eye contact, the same thought running through both their minds. "Alright. What if you take us off the family list, and put Felix on the orphan list?"   
  
  
"What!? NO."   
  
  
The lady types the information into the system. "If you change it, Felix will leave in July with the 12 to 18 age group. And you both...will be scheduled to leave in... 26 months. But once again, that's assuming things don't change. Which they might for the better or worse."   
  
  
Felix is shaking his head, tears rolling down his cheeks. "No! Don't do this. I want to leave with you guys. I don't want-"   
  
  
"Shhh," Jaebum rests his hands on either side of Felix's cheeks, "don't cry. You're going to leave here with Chris. Then you'll be able to see your family. You want that." He smiles and hands him a tissue. "Jackson and I are strong. We're going to be fine."   
  
  
Felix nods, still not happy about this. "Can we still stay in the family dorms?"   
  
  
"I'm sure they'll work something out. You're not the only ones that chose this route."   
  
  
Jackson speaks up, "What if we decide to stay off base? Is there a way we can be contacted about our flight?" He asks.   
  
  
"You mean the three of you-"  
  
  
"No. Just Jaebum and I. Felix would stay in the dorms with the other orphans."   
  
  
She nods. "Yes. You'll be given radios that will send you updates and passes that you can use to get back on base."   
  
  
*  
  
  
Felix sets his backpack down in the room, his face still upset. It's small, with a full size bed, dresser, and a desk. The setup is called a 'quad'. There are four rooms that share a kitchen/living room. It's meant for only one person per room, but this is where the families stay. Each floor has a set of bathrooms and showers to share.   
  
  
Chris sits down on the bed. "The orphan dorms are a little better. We live in quads just like this, but each room has a full bathroom. You can come stay in my room if you want." He smirks. "Give the love birds some privacy."   
  
  
Felix laughs. "Hah. You have no idea."   
  
  
"Yeah, how's that going by the way?" It's no secret to anyone that works under JYP. No one dared question them about it, or spoke about it in fear it would start a rumour. Such a relationship would have been devestating to the entire company. Now there was no company, Felix used to place bets with Hyunjin of when they would finally hook up.   
  
  
"They are both idiots." Felix says, with a hint of affection for his friends. "They aren't planning on staying here for long. We had the option of leaving as a family, but they stepped out so that I could be put on with the orphans." He sits down on the bed, trying to blink back tears. "I don't want to leave without them." He wipes his cheeks. "Hyunjin was with us. We were having trouble finding the base so we stopped. He went to go look through the other cars and he got attacked. I didn't make it to him in time."   
  
  
The bed sinks as Chris sits down next to him. "If I tell you something, promise you'll keep it a secret?" Felix nods. "I was at the hospital because I fainted." He sighs, trying to find the right way to explain it. "I was in the practice room when my head started to hurt. It wasn't like any pain I ever had. It felt like my entire brain was about to explode. Then I wasn't in the room anymore."   
  
  
"You were in the hospital?" Felix suggests.   
  
  
"No. I was standing outside and people were running. Everyone was getting attacked by people with red eyes." He wipes his sweaty hands on his pants. Just thinking about it makes him nervous. "I saw all that _before_  I woke up in the hospital. I thought it was all a dream, you know? Then the evacuation started and I was being lead outside with the other kids. When I looked around, it was the exact scene I saw before I passed out."   
  
  
Felix shifts, his eyes wide. "So you think you had a premonition? You saw into the future?"   
  
  
Chris leans back, surprised. "You believe me?"   
  
  
The younger shrugs. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"   
  
  
"The doctors didn't. All the doctors I told are gone. I'm afraid of what will happen if it happens again. I don't know anyone over there. If I pass out again, or see something, they'll just think I'm crazy."   
  
  
Felix shakes his head. "I'll stay with you. If it happens again, we'll figure it out together. You shouldn't tell anyone about this."  
  
  
Chris sighs. "But what should we do about JB and Jackson?"   
  
  
"Let them go."   
  
  
*  
  
  
"You look disappointed."   
  
  
The noirette looks up from his coffee. Dissapointed? Jaebum is _pissed_. "I wanted more. I wanted more explainations. More flights. I just..." he slams his hands down causing a few drops of coffee to spill onto the table.   
  
  
Jackson nods. "I understand what you mean. But imagine if you were on the other side. If you had a wife and kids and this awful outbreak happened in another country. Wouldn't you want to make sure they are safe? One flight a month doesn't seem like a lot, but it's better than nothing. They have to be careful." He sits back. "Felix and Chris will be on the next flight out. They'll be fine. We have to think about us though." He folds his arms. "Do you want to stay here?"   
  
  
Jaebum bites his bottom lip. "Honestly, no. It's wonderful that there are so many people. But...."  
  
  
" _There are so many people_." Jackson nods. "Too many people. Staying here an entire year sounds worse than what's outside."   
  
  
"We can try to find a place right near the base. To stay here with all of these people and wait... what if there's another outbreak? We'd be trapped." He runs a hand through his hair. "I can't stop thinking about the concert." When he thinks back to Ruby's living situation, he completely understands it. It would be a _long_ time before she made it out. Her living situation was much better than sitting on a base with a bunch of other old people, waiting to die.   
  
  
Jackson nods. "Felix will be out of here in a month. Should we stay until then?"   
  
  
Jaebum sighs. "I'm not leaving him here alone. I don't know about you, but I want to make sure he's on that plane before we leave."   
  
  
Now for the most uncomfortable question of all. "How do we know the planes are actually going to Alaska? What if they're just....getting rid of us."   
  
  
"They're not." Both turn to Chris, who takes a seat at the table with them. "If they wanted to get rid of us, we wouldn't have contact with anyone outside of here. I've spoken twice to my Aunt and Felix already called his family." He smiles brightly. "We wanted to talk to you about something," he says.   
  
  
Felix sits down as well. "If you want to go and find a way to live around the base like Ruby, then you should do it. From what I've heard, there are a few people doing it and the base really helps them out. We can keep in touch and if anything happens on either side, we'll know right away."  
  
  
Jackson leans back, overwhelmed with the sudden change in plans. Just yesterday, all they wanted was to find this place. Now they were talking about leaving. "I don't know if I can leave you here."   
  
  
"Yes, you can. I'm next on the list to leave because I'm a child and I don't have an adult with me. Same with Chris. You don't have to worry about me. I wouldn't want to stay here either. And you could always come back." He chews on the inside of his lip for a moment. "Besides, if an outbreak does happen here, wouldn't it be good for there to already be a safe place we can run too?"   
  
  
He's right. Jackson groans, before looking to Jaebum. "What do you think?"   
  
  
The leader remains silent for a moment. "Let's do it. If we don't find a place in one week, we'll come back. Just one week."


	9. Home Sweet Home.

_This is what insomia feels like?'_  
  
  
He isn't fully there. Everything is has been dimmed down and his senses are numb. If only he could say, ' _it's been days since I've slept!_ ' But the thing is, he _has_ slept. Sometimes he'll close his eyes for a second and sleep while standing. No one really notices. He's good at keeping his balance so he never falls over. The only reason he knows that those minutes of sleep aren't enough, is because everything around him feels.... artificial.   
  
  
So if he slept for five minutes, it's not insomia, right? Ah, the welcome to the new world of not being able to pull out a cellphone and look up symptoms.  
  
  
JB knows he should feel worried as they load up the truck for him. A humvee. No, this isn't one of those nice ones that celebirties buy. It doesn't have cup holders or AC. This is a real fucking humvee with no seatbelts, no keys, no radio. No soul? This is a giant metal can with wheels, meant to survive an attack. It's old. Smells like gun powder.  
  
  
A humvee is better than a car. The infected won't be able to break in.   
  
  
The medical building isn't far from the gate. He could go there and ask a doctor about his health. Maybe they would have all the answers. But freedom is on the other side of this fence and he swears that as long as he keeps moving forward, everything will get better. What happened to Hyunjin will stay in the past.   
  
  
Besides, there's no reason to worry Jackson. He's been a mess all morning, wanting to leave, yet, nervous about leaving Felix and Chan with these people. "They'll be fine," Jaebum assured him. "They have each other."   
  
  
Felix and Chan are by the gate, whispering and making hand signs to disguise what they are talking about. Something is going on that the old JB would want to figure out. Right now, all he can feel towards them is relief. Whatever the big secret is, Felix is no longer thinking about Hyunjin. He looks calm as he talks to his fellow Aussie. Part of him is sad that they are parting ways, the other half is grateful that he has one less person to worry about dying on his watch. 

  
When it's time to leave he hugs Felix tightly and tells him to take care. He tells Chan the same thing, hoping the empty words and lack of tears go unnoticed. He wishes he could tear up like Jackson. He _really_ does.   
  
  
*  
  
  
"You know, since we left the base, I've felt better. More relieved. Maybe it has something to do with not having to rely on someone else for my survival," Jackson runs a hand through his hair, frowning at the new short length. They cut too much off and it's bugging the hell out of him. Though convienant, it was just another reminder that their world was gone completely.   
  
  
Jaebum's eyes remain on the road, while his mind is going over the supplies they recieved. They were given a vehicle that was full on gas, a case of water, clothes, matches, lighters, a solar powered radio, first aid kit, and more. The only thing they were missing was Felix. Not that Jaebum could blame the kid for staying back. Why would he stay with the guy that murdered his friend? No-not murdered- 'saved'. They all insisted on using the word saved. Like those stupid replacement words people use towards individuals to prevent hard feelings. That was complete bulshit. If he had saved them, Hyunjin would still be alive. He would have stayed up there with them. Or at least told them to stay in the car where it was safe. Instead he had just left two kids on the side of the road during a zombie outbreak.   
  
  
JB nods in agreement with himself.  
  
  
"You're going to miss the food too?" Jackson asks, unaware that Jaebum was on a completely different frequency.   
  
  
"I am going to miss the food. The food was really good and I got to eat as much as I wanted," JB says to keep the younger from asking whats on his mind. He glances at the rearview mirror. He can no longer see the base. "But I think we'll be fine with food." He says, referring to the boxes in the back. Now they know what where in all those boxes that Ruby had stacked against the walls. Food. To help them on their journey, the base gave them 6 boxes-3 each-with 24 MRE's in each box. If they were super careful, the food could last them months.  
  
  
Not that it would have too. Eventually they'd find a store to gather more.   
  
  
He found it funny that all the things he thought would be an issue during the apocolypse, really weren't an issue at all. They were fully capable of finding food and water. A weapon could be anything. Without internet, they had books. It wasn't just running into a mall and hiding out with a bunch of random individuals. There was something else that caused people to survive. Maybe luck, as in time or place. No, there was something else. Like a hack in a video game that existed in a persons head. An alarm that went off and told someone to run, while other peoples alarms were delayed. Maybe the alarm told them to stay in the car rather than go wandering. Or swing the bat without second guessing. Some had it, others didn't.  
  
  
Being book smart didn't mean instant survival. JB was seriously lacking in school. He had one edge that he thought might be the reason why he was here; he learned how to take care of himself at a very young age. How to survive. That was _his_ hack. The only problem was he feared he couldn't pass it on to others. Hyunjin didn't have it. Felix doesn't. Chan might. And Jackson... he shudders when he recalls the maggot infested wound. No. He didn't have it either.   
  
  
But god, he didn't want to be alone. That fear was worse than dying, or getting infected.   
  
  
"Wait.... stop the car..." Jackson grabs the steering wheel, startling JB from his thoughts. He stops the car, looking around to see what was happening. Nothing. They were by the water now and there was nothing but trees an old lighthouse.  
  
  
He looks at Jackson. "What?"   
  
  
Jackson rolls his eyes. "The lighthouse. We should check it out. Maybe we can stay here."   
  
  
"Then say, ' _Hey man, look, there's a lighthouse_ ' "JB yells, mocking Jackson's American accent. "Don't just fucking grab the steering wheel and nearly cause an accident. Who does that?" His ranting is completely ignored. Jackson is looking straight past him, trying to see the lighthouse. "Have you ever been in a lighthouse? There's nothing. It's a hollow, circular... thing with stairs going up the middle and a light on top."  
  
  
"True. But at least there aren't many ways for the infected to get in. Let's just check it out."   
  
  
Jaebum shuts off the vehicle and climbs out. Jackson grabs the bat and JB goes for one of the knives. The bat would be a better choice since the blood was just as dangerous. Too bad guns made sounds. The infected followed sounds. Knives, like the one JB resorted too were great, but they required close contact and were bloody. Jaebum was going over in his head what would be a better weapon while Jackson lightly tapped on the door to see if there was any movement inside.   
  
  
After deciding it was safe, Jackson nods. "Alright, one, two, three." He opens the door and they rush in. It's empty. JB was wrong, the place wasn't a hollow room, however the smell is too much for them to handle. It's hot inside and both of them know exactly what they are going to find.  
  
  
"I think something died in here," JB mumbles, covering his face with his shirt.   
  
  
In the circular base was a decent sized sitting room. A small rug on the floor with a coffee table, an old tv, and a radio. To the left was a messy table that had a portable electric burner, microwave, coffee machine, and a bunch of dirty plates.   
  
  
Moving further in, they decide to check out the two rooms across from them. The first was a small bathroom, complete with a shower, toilet, and sink. The other room is a boiler room, along with the circuit breakers to control the electricity. There is even a backup generator.   
  
  
So far, so good, except for the smell. They begin to climb the stairs, making it about halfway up when they reach a small platform. Now they know where the smell was coming from. The platform was meant to be a sort of bedroom. There was a dresser, a nightstand, and right in the middle of the floor, a mattress with a very moldy, bug infested rotting corpse laying on top.  
  
  
Jackson coughs, running back down the stairs with JB close behind him. They barely make it out the door before they fall to the ground, vomiting their breakfast from this morning and possibly part of last nights dinner.   
  
  
"Fuck it, let's get back in the car and find something else." Jackson says between breaths. He looks over at JB, waiting for the older to agree. When he doesn't, Jackson shakes his head. "Nope. _No_. Nu-uh. Nope. **NO**."   
  
  
Jaebum wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "This place is perfect. There aren't many ways for the infected to get in, it runs on it's own electricity and water, and we can probably see the base from the top."   
  
  
"Jae, there's a fucking corpse inside. With bugs. That smell will never leave this place. And if you think I'm going to go up there an-where are you going?" He follows JB to the humvee. The older reaches into the back to grab something. "I'm not going back in there. Let's just leave."   
  
  
"You don't have too." Jaebum pulls a sweatshirt from his backpack, then starts walking to the small shed next to the building. Moments later, he returns with an old, rusted shovel. "You dig the hole, I'll get the body out and clean."   
  
  
 He frowns. "Do you really expect me to stay in there? After seeing that?" He shudders, his hand rubbing over his thigh where his wound once was.   
  
  
"You were right; the windows are high up, it's out in the open. There are appliances inside which means this is an actual home. We'll bury the body and we can stay in the car for a couple of days while it airs out." Jaebum takes Jackson's hand. "This is exactly what we were looking for. That guy didn't die from being attacked by an infected. He was probably the last natural death in South Korea."   
  
  
Jackson looks down at their hands. "Fine," he sigh, "but you're going to clean up any left over maggots. If I see one maggot, I'm done."   
  
  
The deal is made. Jackson stays outside and uses the shovel to dig the grave. Jaebum wraps the sweatshirt around his face before going upstairs to deal with the body. _It's hot inside_. Mixed with the sour smell of rotting flesh, JB's eyes water as he climbs the stairs. The smell goes right through the fabric and he ends up puking on the floor until there is nothing left in his stomach. Once he manages to pull himself together, he finds out interesting things that he never wanted to know about the dead. Like the fact that blood and fluids settle, thanks to gravity. While the skin is pale and decaying on top, all the blood(still in the body) has settled in the back. He grabs the mattress from the bottom and carefully starts to tug it towards the stairs. Fluids have soaked through the mattress and he realises that there is going to be a lot more cleaning involved than he thought.   
  
  
Halfway down the stairs he nearly passes out from trying to hold his breath and move the body at the same time. The sight is unimaginably gruesome. _This_ is what he always thought a real zombie would look like. ' _I can't do this._ ' His mind screams and he collaspes on the stairs, sweat pouring out of every pore in his body. Will they really be able to clean this up? He can't imagine the smell ever fully leaving this place.   
  
  
He tries to get up, but his body is no longer functioning the way he wants it too. ' _Am I dying?_ ' He looks up, watching as flys from the body begin to circle him like vultures. Even something as simple as breathing is becoming difficult. He knows he should remove the sweatshirt from his face. In the back of his mind, he knows exactly what's wrong. **Everyting**. He hasn't slept for days, he's stressed, dehydrated, the sweatshirt is too tight around his face, and he never went to the gym before all this, so carrying a matress with a dead body on it is just too much.   
  
  
"Get up." 

Despite the heat, his body goes cold. The sweat dripping down his back doubles, and his skin starts to get goosebumps.   
  
  
He's too afraid to look. It's impossible. He's dead.   
  
  
"I said, get up. If you lay here you die. Trust me. I know."   
  
  
Jaebum turns his head, a small noise escaping his lips.  
  
  
The corpse is sitting up on the mattress, his eyes white, with maggots crawling out of his gray, slimey, bloated body. To make matters worse, sitting right behind him on the stairs is Hyunjin. Not the Hyunjin he remembers. This one has blood running down half of his face and is staring at him with red eyes. He grins in the most friendly way, revealing two rows of bloodied teeth.   
  
  
His screams are muffled from his shirt, but it's just enough for Jackson to come running in, the shovel still in his hands. He looks around, startled when he sees his friend laying on the stairs, unable to move.  
  
  
"Jaebum!" He shouts, dropping the shovel before running to him.   
  
  
Why did he drop the shovel!? He's going to need that if he's going to fight-  
  
  
He's gone. Jaebum looks back to the empty spot where Hyunjin was sitting. The corpse is laying back down as if nothing happened. No one is there, but the feeling hasn't changed. He knows they are still here, watching him get carried away.   
  
  
Once outside, he yanks the sweatshirt from his face, his legs giving out. He crawls over to the side of the building where theres shade.  
  
  
"Are you okay?" Jackson asks. Jaebum doesn't respond. He pissed himself. Thanks to his dehydrated state, it wasn't much, but he still gives a silent prayer that Jackson hasn't noticed. With all of the terrible smells surrounding them, he doubts it. 

  
"Look, you stay here, I'll get the corpse out the rest of the way."   
  
  
"NO!" Jaebum shakes his head wildly.   
  
  
Jackson frowns. "I can do it. It's almost down the stairs. It'll be a straight shot to the door."   
  
  
"No. Hyunjin-" He stops himself. Jackson looks alarmed that JB suddenly mentioned him. What can he say? Jackson wouldn't believe him. He'd just think he was loosing his mind.   
  
  
"What?" Jackson asks. "Hyunjin what?" 

  
JB shakes his head. "Nothing I-" he sighs. "Nothing."   
  
  
Jackson gets up from the grass, walks over to the humvee. A moment later he returns with a bottle of water. "Stay here and drink this." He says, then disappears into the Lighthouse. Jaebum holds his breath, waiting. Any moment now,  he'll hear a scream. He breaths out and crawls closer to the door. Nothing.   
  
  
Suddenly, the door flies open and Jackson comes out, dragging the mattress with the corpse on it, over to the grave. He stops and looks at the extremely pale version of his friend. "I thought I told you to rest. Go drink your water." He says, leaving the mattress about 10ft from the grave he's digging. Jaebum opens the water bottle and chugs it. The feeling he had from before is slowly fading away. In the back of his mind he wonders if it ever happened at all.   
  
  
It did.   
  
  
So he gets up from ground and walks over to help Jackson dig. Resting would be wise - he knows he needs it. But he also wants to make sure. He wants to make sure the grave deep and this guy wont be coming back.

**Author's Note:**

> Apocalypse AU. Ft. Jackbum Jackson and Jaebum try to survive together.
> 
>  
> 
> The zombies/virus is more like 28 Days Later in the sense that they are not slow moving or falling apart. XD  
>  
> 
> Comments are a writers red bull. ;)


End file.
